Thor J. Jager, M.D.
Thor J. Jager, M.D., Wichita’s first pathologist, was also one of the first internal medicine consultants west of Kansas City. Dr. Jager was responsible for establishing the strong medical tradition that continues in Wichita today.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden on September 25, 1882, Dr. Jager came to Wichita in 1907 to intern at St. Francis Hospital after graduating cum laude from medical school at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. His election to Alpha Omega Alpha in 1906 acknowledged Dr. Jager's stature amongst new physician graduates.
Dr. Andrew H. Fabrique, a pioneer Wichita physician, encouraged Dr. Jager to complete his internship in Wichita with other recent graduates. Dr. Jager became one of "Fab's boys," young interns who became the foundation for scientific medicine in the city of Wichita and the surrounding territory.
Following his internship in Wichita, Dr. Jager returned to Chicago and served as an instructor in the Department of Pathology at Northwestern University for one year. He then pursued advanced training in Internal Medicine at the University of Tubingen followed by a year at a university in Berlin. In early 1911, Dr. Jager returned to Wichita to supervise the newly established laboratory at St. Francis Hospital and practice internal medicine.
In 1936, Dr. Jager transferred both his laboratory and clinical practice to Wesley Hospital, where he served as laboratory director. He relinquished the laboratory supervision at Wesley in 1949 but continued to practice medicine as a consultant in pathology, neurology and internal medicine until his retirement in 1970.
During his career Dr. Jager collected 830 rare, old and important medical books, nine bound journals and 40 miscellaneous items, including writings from the 16th to the 20th centuries. On April 24, 1970, he signed a contract with the University of Kansas to accept the bequest of his collection. On February 24, 1974 the Jager Room of the Clendening Library was dedicated. After Dr. Jager's death on November 18, 1975, a new Jager Room was dedicated with generous support from his widow, Mrs. Gwen Jager, and the Kansas University Medical Alumni Association.
Society Director
Garold Minns, M.D.
gminns@kumc.edu
