Loyola University Chicago

Frederick M. Selfridge, MD, a 1946 Stritch School of Medicine alumnus, has experienced the Loyola family from every angle: as an undergraduate, as a medical student, as a faculty member, as a physician treating patients, and as a patient receiving care. Selfridge attributes his successful career to the solid education, training, and practical experiences he gained at Loyola.

“My experiences at Loyola were priceless gifts given to me long ago,” Selfridge says. “I truly feel that if I had not been accepted at Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus and the medical school, I would not be where I am today. The fact that I was able to attend both schools is a debt I can never quite repay, and being invited to become a member of the faculty was quite an honor for me as well.”

In recognition of these positive experiences, Selfridge has made a $1.6 million bequest to Loyola, allocating more than $1.3 million to Stritch, $25,000 to the medical center, and $250,000 to Loyola University Chicago. The gift is to be used for whatever purposes Stritch, the medical center, and the University deem fit. “Where the need is greatest is where my money should go,” Selfridge says.

Selfridge attended LUC from 1940 to 1943 and Stritch from 1943 to 1946. “I was in medical school during World War II and also served in the Army at that time, so my tuition was paid by the Army Medical Corps,” he explains. Selfridge recalls wearing his Army uniform to school.

He formed close friendships with several classmates, most of whom were men since there were only four women in each class at that time. “I felt very welcomed by all of my teachers and classmates. I believe 18 of my classmates are still living now,” Selfridge says. “My health no longer allows me to attend the annual Stritch alumni reunion, but I remain in contact with a couple of my classmates from the Chicago area.”

After graduating from Stritch, Selfridge finished a 15-month internship at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago. He then served at a hospital in Guam for the U.S. Army Medical Corps for two years and provided psychiatric care and general medical care during a three-month tour of duty in Tokyo. After completing his military service, Selfridge completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, followed by a fellowship at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

A member of the Stritch faculty from 1953 to 1971, Selfridge served as an associate professor in the Department of Medicine as well as an assistant and associate dean. After leaving Stritch, Selfridge served as the assistant director of the Department of International Medicine at the American Medical Association and as director of professional services at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. From 1973 to 1988, he was the director of the Department of Medical Education at Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago.

Selfridge, a Chicago-area native, retired as an internal medicine specialist in 1988. Post-retirement, he maintains a close relationship with Loyola, stays current with University improvements and fosters ongoing communications with administrators. “I certainly consider the students and the faculty as an extension of my family,” he says.