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Prof. Peter Jacobs (MBBCh 1959, PhD 1974)

Once in a while a country is fortunate enough to be blessed by someone who takes up the challenge to let the spheres of mediocrity be in order to take up the responsibility to lead and to guide a group of people into the future. South Africa, and in particular many South African individuals have been blessed over a number of decades by the self-denying sacrifice of Professor Peter Jacobs, one of South Africa?s leading lights in the fields of Haematological Pathology and Clinical Haematology.

Not only has Professor Jacobs contributed greatly to academic medicine through hundreds of publications, his membership of numerous local and international societies, fellowships and editorial boards and numerous awards and prizes; he also played a pioneering role in being the first to do stem cell transplantations in South Africa. During the years he has given a human face to tragedy by caring from before dawn until after dusk, for thousands of patients, and by taking up an advocacy role for the often dismal plight of patients suffering from haematological cancers.

As Professor of Haematology at the University of Stellenbosch and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska, he has impacted, encouraged, mentored and inspired hundreds of pre and postgraduate students and colleagues to become better doctors and human beings. Professor Jacobs, we salute and thank you for all you have done for Haematology in South Africa.