With Dean Cyril Clarke's urging, Betty Chapman, friend and executor of Elizabeth Mason's estate, cut the ribbon to the recently expanded Small Animal Intensive Care Unit.
On November 8, friends close to Elizabeth Mason celebrated the completion of the small animal intensive care unit expansion with Lois Bates Acheson Teaching Hospital faculty and staff. Betty Chapman, friend and executor of Mason’s estate, cut the ribbon and commented that Elizabeth would have been so pleased to know how her gift helped animals needing special care at the teaching hospital. Lela Dillstrom, Mrs. Mason’s caregiver, also shared her thoughts. After the ribbon cutting, ICU veterinary technician Janice Hutcheson gave a tour of the expanded facility.
Elizabeth Mason was born June 17, 1921, and passed away February 29, 2008. She was raised on the Henderson family farm on Fern Road just south of Philomath. In 1939, Elizabeth graduated from Corvallis High School. She married Robert Mason of Peoria. It was their love of animals that prompted Elizabeth to leave the bulk of her estate to the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine. She occasionally was referred to the VTH by her veterinarian for her pets.
Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital Director Dr. Helen Diggs commented, “This expansion more than doubled the ICU’s floor space and holding capacity for pets in need of intensive veterinary care. The design, developed in collaboration with the clinicians, staff, and certified veterinary technicians who work in the area, allows for visualization of all animals in the room from one central work station. The new room also provides space for large dog caging units; these units did not fit in the old ICU space. These caging units make medical management of the bigger dogs much easier and since Elizabeth Mason had German Shepherds, I think this addition would especially please her.”
