Jack Arthur Pritchard, M.D., was one of the most eminent medical figures of the 20th Century - a scientist trained in pharmacology, a physician trained in reproductive medicine, and an authority on the complications of pregnancy. As its second chairman, he breathed life into the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and gave it academic distinction. He was the architect of the Family Planning Program in Dallas, Texas. And, he was senior author/editor of four editions of John Whitridge Williams' textbook, Obstetrics - the "bible" on obstetrical care. Every Life Has A Story And This Is Mine is the personal memoir of the physician-scientist who introduced science to the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. In the course of his 44-year career, he taught and inspired generations of physicians. His evidence-based approach to medicine revolutionized the practice of obstetrics and gynecology and touched the lives of women everywhere. Yet, he never forgot that his patients (most of whom were uneducated and indigent) were women with names and stories of their own to tell. All you had to do was listen. Every Life Has A Story And This Is Mine preserves the original 2001 text of Dr. Pritchard's autobiography. Editorial additions by Judy Wagers are clearly identified. And, photographs and footnotes enhance the reading experience. As you read the serendipitous story of his life, you will hear the voice of Jack Arthur Pritchard, M.D. - physician, scientist, teacher, and humanitarian.
About the Author: Jack Arthur Pritchard, M.D., graduated from Case Western Reserve University with an M.D. degree in 1946. He completed a fellowship in Pharmacology at the same institution and contemplated getting a Ph.D. His enthusiasm for obstetrics and gynecology was reawakened during a year of active military duty in Japan, and he completed his residency in that specialty after discharge. In 1955, Dr. Pritchard became the second Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He held this position until 1970 when he became the senior author/editor for Williams Obstetrics. Dr. Pritchard continued to practice and teach at UT Southwestern until his full retirement in 1990. In 2001, at the urging of his wife, Signe, he wrote his autobiography, Every Life Has A Story And This is Mine. - Judy Anne Wagers, editor of Every Life Has A Story And This Is Mine, has master's degrees in both English and business administration. She began her professional career as an editor and project manager for a California publisher of children's educational materials. In 1973, she joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where she met Dr. and Mrs. Pritchard. Since her retirement as the department's business manager in 2009, she has been writing about the history of the department for the UT Southwestern website. This project led to her editing Dr. Pritchard's autobiography. Judy and her scientist husband, Robert, have recently published the book, Mysteries of the Marfa Lights Revealed - the culmination of their seven-year investigation of "mysterious" light phenomena seen near the west Texas town of Marfa.