Evanston Public Library Director Karen Danczak Lyons and members of the Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees recently accepted a generous donation from Dr. and Mrs. Fred Malkinson. At a reception for the Malkinson family, guests reminisced about Dr. Malkinson’s love of the library, history, learning and the written word. As Evanston residents and active patrons of the Evanston Public Library, Dr. and Mrs. Malkinson said they were honored and pleased to make a gift of $15,000 to the Library that they hope will endure and inspire learning for generations to come.
Dr. Fred Malkinson and his wife, Una Malkinson, are longtime Evanston residents with an active history of community involvement, including support for causes in the arts and education.
Dr. Malkinson moved to Evanston in 1971. A history major at Harvard University, Dr. Malkinson went on to receive his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. During an illustrious medical career, he published more than 135 research papers, clinical studies and book chapters. Yet, throughout a busy career in academic medicine, including 19 years at the University of Chicago School of Medicine and approximately 35 years at Rush University Medical Center (25 years as founding chairman of the Department of Dermatology), Dr. Malkinson maintained a passion for studying American history. That passion remains today.
As a member of the Evanston Library Board from 1988 to 1995, Dr. Malkinson was involved in continued efforts with the City Council to plan and implement the construction of a new library for Evanston. He helped organize an international architectural contest for the design of the new library, which yielded approximately 350 entries from around the world, and he worked with the Evanston Arts Council to select numerous pieces of art that are still displayed throughout the library. Dr. Malkinson was president of the library board during the grand opening ceremonies of the new Main Library in October 1994. He also served for several years on the board of the Next Theatre in Evanston and as president of the Art Encounter Board.
Una Malkinson, a clinical social worker at the former Josselyn Center for Mental Health for 35 years, also has a long history of community involvement in Evanston civic organizations. She served as president of the 7th Ward Voters, the Evanston Hospital Neighbors Organization, Art Encounter and the Friends of Art Encounter. She remains active today as a class leader in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Northwestern University.