Thomas Carlyle Jones

Thomas Carlyle Jones, known to his friends as Carl or T.C., passed away at the age of 95 after a brief illness. The veterinary profession lost one of its most influential and respected leaders and the American College of Veterinary Pathologists lost its founder, as it was through the effort and vision of Carl Jones that led to the establishment of this venerable institution in 1948.

Carl was born in Boise, Idaho, on September 29, 1912. Dr. Jones’ interest in animals began at the age of 11 when he lived on a dairy farm; worked there one summer and later, while in high school, worked on a general farm during summer vacations. His first scientific interest was in dairy husbandry while attending the University of Idaho in his home state. After entering veterinary school at Washington State College in Pullman, Washington, his interest shifted to the diseases of dairy cattle. While at that institution he worked, from the second year, as a histology technician in the Department of Pathology. It was here that Hilton A. Smith, who was his professor of pathology, established Carl’s love of veterinary pathology and where the two began a professional relationship to last the rest of their lives. Upon his graduation from veterinary school with highest honors in 1935, Carl entered the U.S. Army for a distinguished career in the Veterinary Corps for 25 years. While serving at the Presidio at Monterey, Calif., Carl published his first article, “Modified horseshoeing for road marches,” following the ceremonies for the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge. Apparently that was the last time horses were welcome at the Golden Gate Bridge.

In 1938 and 1939 Carl served at the Army Veterinary School and then from 1939 to 1946 Carl served at the U.S. Army Veterinary Research Laboratory at Front Royal, Virginia. Here, as the officer in charge of research he conducted studies on equine influenza (equine viral rhinopneumonitis), equine periodic opthalmia and equine viral arteritis. While stationed in Virginia, Carl sought consultation with the then Army Medical Museum (AMM), later the Army Institute of Pathology and then the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). Here he established many professional relationships with medical pathologists including James E. Ash with whom he published on periodic ophthalmia. Ash, who was the Director of the AMM, was influenced by Carl’s desire that the AMM establish a registry of veterinary pathology. The fact that Dr. Ash was married to the daughter of Dr. Denny Udall a professor of medicine at the New York Veterinary College at Cornell University also influenced his interest. The registry of veterinary pathology came into being in 1943. In 1946, after the end of World War II, Carl was appointed chief of the veterinary division and Registrar of the Registry of Veterinary Pathology of the AMM.

While at the AMM Carl pursued his vision for a college of veterinary pathologists. Working with William H. Feldman, who had been appointed a consultant to the AMM by Dr. Ash, Carl’s tireless energy and efforts gained approval of the American Veterinary Medical Association for the establishment of a specialty group. Following a meeting of 15 veterinary pathologists in Chicago in 1948, the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) was born with 42 charter members. Carl served as the ACVP’s first secretary-treasurer with William Feldman as the first president. He remained secretary-treasurer through 1950 and again from 1954 through 1960 and served as president in 1963. Carl wrote the ACVP constitution and in 1951 arranged the first examination.

Dr. Jones remained at the AMM until 1950 when he was stationed to West Germany to serve as Chief of the Veterinary Department of the Fourth Medical Field Laboratory. While in West Germany, he was the first American to be elected to their veterinary pathology association. Following his tour of duty in West Germany, he returned to the United States to once again serve as Chief of the veterinary division at the AFIP from 1953 to 1957. In 1954 Dr. Jones with C.A. Gleiser published the classic text “Veterinary Necropsy Procedures.” Also during the 1950’s Carl began work with his former mentor, Hilton Smith, in writing a textbook of veterinary pathology. This was first published in 1957 and immediately became the standard textbook for veterinary pathology in schools of veterinary medicine and for those aspiring young pathologists preparing for the ACPV examination.

Dr. Jones retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1957. His career in the Army was distinguished with many awards, including the Hoskins Medal, the Legions of Merit and the Certificate of Merit from the AFIP. In 1957 he began a new career as director of pathology at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital and as assistant professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. He revitalized the Department of Pathology at Angell and obtained funding for an additional floor added to the hospital devoted to the Department. Through Harvard Medical School’s Department of Pathology, he established a National Institutes of Health supported training program in veterinary pathology. This program, still in existence at the School’s New England Primate Research Center, is the longest running National Institutes of Health training program supported by the Division of Research Resources. At HMS and Angell he not only concentrated on diseases of dogs and cats, he continued his interest in diseases of laboratory animals that he began while at the AFIP. In 1953 he had established the first course on diseases of laboratory animals at the AFIP which became an instant success and continues to this day. In 1963 he was promoted to Associate Professor of Pathology.

In 1967 Carl left the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital to assume a full time position at the New England Regional Primate Research Center in Southboro, Mass., an integral component of Harvard Medical School. Here he was named as associate director and promoted to professor of pathology. With the death of Hilton Smith, Dr. Jones was joined by Dr. Ronald D. Hunt in preparing three more editions of the textbook “Veterinary Pathology.” In 1978 Dr. Jones joined Kurt Benirschke and F.M. Garner in editing a two-volume set on “Pathology of Laboratory Animals.” In the 1980’s Dr. Jones was invited by the International Life Science Institute to participate with Dr. Ulrich Mohr, a medical pathologist in Hanover, Germany, to organize a series of short courses on pathology of laboratory animals with each course devoted to a body system or species. These were predominantly held in Hanover, Germany; but also in Japan and the United States. Each course resulted in a monograph edited by T.C. Jones, U. Mohr and R.D. Hunt.

After Carl’s wife, Dorotha Anne Bratt, died he left Harvard and New England and moved to Washington D.C. in 1994. Here he worked on the sixth edition of “Veterinary Pathology” which was published in 1996. He ultimately moved to Santa Fe, N.M. with his close friend and partner Joyce Blalock.

Dr. Jones’ unique and invaluable abilities have been sought by countless institutions throughout his career. A list of a few of his past affiliations and honors include: member of the Graduate Council, George Washington University; research associate in pathology, Cancer Research Institute, New England Deaconess Hospital; alumnus of the year (1963) College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University; chairman, Council of Research, American Veterinary Medical Association; consultant to the National Institutes of Health, Division of General Medical Sciences, and National Cancer Institute; consultant and member of the Scientific Advisory Board, AFIP; member, Committee of Animal Health of the Agricultural Board of the National Academy of Sciences; consultant in pathology to the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital; associate editor, Pathologia Veterinaria; chairman, advisory board of Veterinary Specialties, American Veterinary Medical Association; consultant, West Roxbury and Providence Veterans Administration Hospital; consultant on Comparative Pathology, World Health Organization; and member, subcommittee of Comparative Pathology, National Academy of Sciences. A most distinguished honor was his election as president of the International Academy of Pathology. In 1971 he was awarded an honorary doctor of science from the Ohio State University and he was named a distinguished member of the ACVP.

Dr. Jones leaves his son Don Carl Jones of Madison, Wis.; his daughters Sylvia Garfield of West Lebanon, N.H. and Ann L. Willis of Heights Town, N.J. and eight grandchildren, Todd Jones, Karin Myers, Eric Jones, Andrew Garfield, James Garfield, Avery Willis, Kingsley Willis and Goreleigh Willis.

Respectfully submitted,

Ronald D. Hunt D.V.M.

professor of comparative pathology emeritus