Born in the Ukraine in 1904, Harry B. Friedgood received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University Medical School in 1928. He served as Medical House officer (1928-30), Jr. Associate in Medicine (1936-39), and Associate in Medicine (1939-44), at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston. From 1933-34 Dr. Friedgood was Asst. Dispensary Physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Senior Attending Physician at Los Angeles County Hospital, 1944-46.

At the California Institute for Cancer Research Dr. Friedgood was president 1945-52, President emeritus, 1952-, and director, 1945-6?. He held teaching positions at a number of institutions, including the University of Michigan, where he was instructor in medicine, 1930-32. He was a research fellow, 1936-39 and instructor in medicine, 1939-44 at Harvard. At the University of Southern California Dr. Friedgood was asst. clinical professor of medicine, 1944-48; and he served as research associate in zoology, 1947-48, and assoc. clinical professor of medicine, 1948-52, at UCLA.

Dr. Friedgood also held several fellowships. At Johns Hopkins he was Jacques Loeb fellow in medicine, 1932-34, Research fellow in physiology and National Research Council fellow in medicine, 1934-35. He was also research fellow in physiology and fellow of the General Education Board, 1935-36, and research fellow in physiology at Harvard 1936-39.

His varied experiences included stints in New Deli and Calcutta, 1953 where he was a consultant in problems of medical education for the government, served as vice chairman and secretary of the executive board, and director of OPD, chief of endocrine & metabolic services , senior attending physician at Clinica Pereira Leal Santurce, Puerto Rico, 1954-55. In 1955-56 he was physician in chief, and medical director of the Willys Unit Diagnostic Clinic of the UAW-CIO, and 1956-57, and medical directory and director of medical education and research at the Wheeling Hospital, West VA.

Dr. Friedgood's association with UCSF began with his appointments as associate research physicians, and lecturer in medicine 1957-58, becoming chief of the obesity clinic, 1958-59, assoc. clinical professor of medicine 1958-71 (?). He was associate research physicians of the Hooper Foundation 1961-71.

Among the professional societies in which he was a members were AAAS, AMA, American Physiological Society, ASCI, Endocrine Society,American Psychosomatic Society, APHA, US Comm World Federation Mental Health, NCMH, and Sigma XI.