College of Science & Engineering Alumni Newsletter

Fall 2001

In Memoriam: Dr. Paul Scholten

    A lover of wine, critic of fine foods and an established professional in medicine are just a few depictions that one has of Dr. Paul Scholten. An elite member of SFSU, Dr. Paul Scholten past away on May 9th, 2001 at his home after a long battle with cancer at the age of 79. We keep his memory alive and honor Dr. Scholten as one of San Francisco State University’s prestigious alumnus. He is remembered for his forthright views and his lifetime of service to his community and his profession. Dr. Scholten delivered thousands of babies in San Francisco, influenced minds at San Francisco State and embraced a score of achievements in his lifetime of service to his community and profession.
    Dr. Scholten was a man known for his many interests that include teaching, journalism, medicine, and a critical appreciation of fine food and wines. A proud third generation San Franciscan, Dr. Scholten graduated in 1943 from San Francisco State College with a B.A. in Physiology, where he served as editor of the Golden Gater and president of his senior class. He moved on to the University of California, School of Medicine in San Francisco and its residency program in obstetrics and gynecology.
    During his private practice, he served as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at various times at St. Luke’s Hospital, president of the SF Medical Society, member of California Medical Society’s House of Delegates for 25 years and a past president of the Public Health League of California and of the board of trustees of the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank. He also served as an associate clinical professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Sciences and Nursing at the University of California, School of Medicine in San Francisco. Dr. Scholten found time to teach at Stanford, UCSF and California Pacific Medical Center. He shocked an American Medical Association session in the 50s by recommending sex counseling for brides.  He also added that 10 to 25 percent of them were already pregnant.
    Following his retirement after years of private medicine in 1980, he became the Director of Women’s Health Services at the Student Health Services until 1991. Dr. Scholten established the highest standard of care for female students, which is highly evident with his past work at SFSU. For 37 years, he served on the board of directors of the SFSU Alumni Association. He was known for his expertise and love for the field of fine dining and entertainment. Dr. Scholten was a wine judge in many competitions but also a member of the California State Advisory Board on Alcohol-Related problems and the Wine institute Research-Education Committee. He was the author of 250 published articles on medicine, food, wine, travel, history, politics, and apiculture.
    He is survived by his wife Marion of 53 years; three sons, Stephen and Joseph of San Francisco and John of Jackson Hole, WY; two daughters Pauline Scholten of san Francisco and Anne Scholten of Headsburg; and four brothers, Harvey, Robert, Thomas and James Scholten, all of San Francisco.
 
 
 

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