Paul Carlson
| Dr. Paul Carlson | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 31, 1928 Culver City, California |
| Died | November 24, 1964 (aged 36) Stanleyville, Congo |
| Education | George Washington University |
| Occupation | Medical Doctor (MD), Missionary |
| Known for | Martyrdom during the Simba Rebellion |
| Spouse(s) | Lois Carlson Bridges |
| Children | 2 |
Paul Carlson (March 31, 1928 – November 24, 1964) was an American physician and medical missionary who served in Wasolo, a town in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He originated from Rolling Hills Covenant Church in Southern California, which is a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination. He was killed in 1964 by rebel insurgents after being falsely accused of being an American spy.
Carlson was born in Culver City, California, the son of Swedish immigrant Gustav Carlson, a Southern California machinist, and his wife Ruth. He graduated from North Park University in 1948, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Stanford in 1951, and finished medical school at George Washington University in 1956. After finishing medical school, he completed five years of internship and then surgery residency in Redondo Beach, California, during which time he met and married nurse Lois Lindblom of Menominee, Michigan.
In 1961, Carlson decided to serve as a missionary doctor. He arrived in Congo and began working as a medical missionary for six months in Ubangi Province. In December 1961 he returned to Redondo Beach but continued to talk of returning to the Congo because of its great needs.
In July 1963, along with his wife, son Wayne, and daughter Lynette, he returned to the Ubangi region of the African nation known at the time as the Republic of the Congo. Activities included working in the eighty-bed hospital and leper colony. During this time, Carlson acquired the nickname Monganga Paul (Monganga meaning "doctor" in the Lingala tongue). This work continued until the political unrest of the time reached them. In August 1964, rebels captured Stanleyville, now Kisangani, and the Carlson family crossed the Ubangi river to seek refuge in the Central African Republic. Carlson, however, remained committed to his hospital and work in Wasolo, and he returned.
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