In memory of James (Jim) Warren Smith, MD
Portrait of Dr. Smith by Mary Johnston Brown.
AMPATH has lost a true friend of our mission with the passing of Jim Smith, MD, past chairman of the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Pathology and one of the first faculty collaborators in Kenya.
Dr. Smith and his wife Nancy were the first IU community members to host a Moi University faculty member for six months during the early days of the IU-Kenya Partnership (now known as AMPATH Kenya). He continued to stay involved in the partnership for the ensuing three decades and travelled frequently to Kenya to help develop an immunohistochemistry lab at Moi University and train multiple cohorts of physician scientists.
Dr. Jim Smith (back left) with AMPATH colleagues.
“He was a real prince of a person,” reflected Bob Einterz, MD, one of AMPATH’s founders and past executive director of the AMPATH Consortium. “The world has lost another good and remarkable man.”
Dr. Kirtika Patel, chair of pathology at Moi University School of Medicine, reflected on Dr. Smith’s contributions saying, “Jim Smith mentored us well, believed in us and invested valuable time to get us where we are now. I hope we can be like him.”
Jim and Nancy Smith
“Jim saw the possibilities for meaningful global health collaboration and how he could play an important role,” said Adrian Gardner, MD, MPH, director of the IU Center for Global Health and executive director of the AMPATH Consortium. “Through Jim’s unwavering commitment over three decades, he helped to build a pathology program in Kenya that will benefit future generations.”
Dr. Craig Brater, former dean of the IU School of Medicine, and his wife Stephanie Brater shared, “Jim was an accomplished academic both at IU School of Medicine and with AMPATH Kenya. That coupled with the fact that he was a genuinely nice and thoughtful person, always full of positive energy, means he was a unique individual. We were all privileged to be his friend and colleague.”
In addition to his contributions to AMPATH, Dr. Smith and his team discovered a drug combination which was successful in treating AIDS complications. He also served on the Microbiology Resource Committee of the College of American Pathology and on the board of the Indiana Medical History Museum.
Our sincere condolences are shared with Nancy and their sons and family and many friends. We are grateful to the family for designating AMPATH as a recipient of memorial gifts for Dr. Smith.