Sven Lokrantz
Sven Rickard Lokrantz was an American physician. He served as president of the American School Health Association and chairman of the Southern California Public Health Association.
Lokrantz became internationally known for the humanitarian ideas he introduced in the field of preventive school healthcare.
Early life and education
Lokrantz was born in Munsö, Stockholm County, Sweden on September 22, 1892.His father was a landowner and his mother was born a friherrinna. He emigrated to the United States in 1914.
He enrolled at Tufts Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a Doctor of Medicine degree in Boston in 1918.
Career
In 1918, he opened a medical practice in Los Angeles, where he became the chief school physician and director of public health in 1924. In this role, he gained significant recognition and served as chief medical officer for the 1932 Summer Olympics, honorary chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee for the Summer Games, and chairman of the American Association of School Physicians in 1931, and the Southern California Public Health Association. He was also the founder of the Ling Foundation.Recognition and public image
A school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Sven Lokrantz Special Education Center, bears his name and was designed by Sidney Eisenshtat in 1961.Lokrantz was honored as a Knight of the Royal Order of the Polar Star.