In the spring of 1939, Dr. George Cottrell, graduate of the University of Oregon Medical School (UOMS) and former medical director of the "Crippled Children's Division" (now the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center) at UOMS, presented a detailed life summary of Kenneth A. J. Mackenzie to the school's History Club.

The account traced Mackenzie’s early years in Saskatchewan and highlighted his pivotal role in shaping medical education in the Pacific Northwest. Mackenzie championed the creation of a premier academic medical center in Portland. During his eight-year tenure as dean of UOMS, he spearheaded foundational changes, including the recruitment of a highly qualified faculty, progressive curriculum reform, and the establishment of top-tier facilities. His leadership marked a transformative era in the region’s medical education landscape. This reflection on Mackenzie offers an intimate glimpse of the man behind the legacy, including a wry anecdote in which he joked about amputating a rival’s arm when only a finger was required.