Rodger C. Haggitt Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology

Est. 2003

The Rodger C. Haggitt Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology was established in 2003 to honor Dr. Haggitt’s life and many contributions to the fields of pathology and gastroenterology.

Rodger C. Haggitt was born in Detroit and grew up in Tennessee. A graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Medicine, Dr. Haggitt did his pathology residency at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston. He joined the UW Medicine faculty in 1984.

A professor of pathology at the UW School of Medicine and director of anatomic pathology at UW Medical Center, Dr. Haggitt was considered one of the world’s most distinguished pathologists and was recognized for his fundamental studies of gastrointestinal diseases. In close collaboration with UW clinicians, he identified the steps between ulcerative colitis and colon tumors, as well as the relationships between Barrett’s esophagus and cancer of the esophagus.

Dr. Haggitt received many awards, including the American Society of Clinical Pathologists’ Distinguished Service Award. He was the 2000 Maude-Abbott Lecturer, the highest honor bestowed on a practicing pathologist by the U.S. and Canadian Academy of Pathology. Dr. Haggitt trained and mentored many pathologists, who regarded him as an outstanding teacher.

Sadly, Dr. Haggitt’s life was cut short on June 28, 2000, when a second-year resident shot him, then took his own life. Dr. Haggitt was 57. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Mary Jane Haggitt, also a pathologist, and three children: Kathryn, Scott and Libby.

If you are interested in supporting this work, please make a gift.