Few UT Southwestern Medical School alumni have ties as deep as Greg Jenkins, M.D., Class of 1971. Inspired at his 50th Alumni Reunion, Dr. Jenkins and his wife, Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming Jenkins, endowed the Dr. Greg and Peggy Fleming Jenkins Professorship for Critical Care in Anesthesiology and Pain Management. This Professorship honors Dr. Jenkins’ father, Marion Thomas “Pepper” Jenkins, M.D., whose pioneering work in anesthesiology continues to shape the field.

A legacy of leadership

Born in 1917 in Hughes Springs, Texas, Dr. “Pepper” Jenkins was instrumental in the development of anesthesiology. After earning his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch and serving in World War II, he started his surgical residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital and then trained in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1948, he established the Anesthesiology Division within the Department of Surgery at Parkland, and in 1955, became the founding Chairman of Southwestern Medical School’s Department of Anesthesiology, where his innovations in operating room practices are still used today.

One of Dr. Jenkins’ lesser known but historic roles occurred on Nov. 22, 1963, when he served as the chief anesthesiologist in resuscitation efforts of President John F. Kennedy at Parkland. His involvement with lifesaving efforts also extended to caring for both accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby, Mr. Oswald’s killer.

According to Stephen Fagin, Curator of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, “It was Dr. Jenkins’ direct vantage point of Kennedy’s head that made him a key witness for the Warren Commission. And Dr. Jenkins was one of a few physicians to witness the President receiving his last rites.”

Dr. Jenkins’ influence extends beyond those moments, as UT Southwestern established the Jenkins Society to honor his contributions and to promote the growth and development of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management.

Motivated by family legacy

Dr. Greg Jenkins, now retired from his private dermatology practice, explained the motivation behind the gift that honors his father’s contributions: “What I really admired about him was how enormously dedicated he was to the overall growth of anesthesiology. Our gift reinforces the Jenkins family commitment to the Department and its leadership, a devotion extending back more years than I can count.”

The idea for the endowment took shape during Dr. Jenkins’ 50th Alumni Reunion in 2022, when he and Peggy reunited with their longtime family friend, Charles Whitten, M.D., Chair of the UT Southwestern Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management. The reunion inspired the couple to create the Professorship.

The Dr. Greg and Peggy Fleming Jenkins Professorship for Critical Care in Anesthesiology and Pain Management will support future leaders in the Department, with a focus on critical care medicine, anesthesiology, and pain management.

For the Jenkins family, the gift also provides a sense of fulfillment. “What we also really want to do is give something in real time while my wife and I are both alive,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Our gift reinforces the Jenkins family commitment to the Department and shows our ongoing devotion to its future.”

Carrying the torch

Dr. Whitten said he hopes the Professorship will help attract top professionals, especially in critical care. “This gift carries on Dr. Jenkins’ legacy,” he said, “and it will keep the Jenkins family history alive for all of us.”

The overarching symbolism of the Jenkins alumni gift is something that Dr. Whitten, echoing the sentiment of Dr. Jenkins, takes very seriously.

“I feel like I’m the holder of the torch of the Jenkins family, by running the Department that Dr. Pepper Jenkins founded,” Dr. Whitten said. “In that regard, this gift is very humbling to me. I work very hard to make sure that the Jenkins family will be proud of our activities and the good path we are on. And this gift of a Professorship is an absolute reflection of the Jenkins’ acknowledgment that we are on an excellent path.”

Dr. Jenkins feels that this gift reinforces his lifelong support as a graduate of the Medical School, and ultimately, the family hopes their gift will light a spark of giving for other potential donors.

“We are extremely proud and happy that we’ve done this,” Peggy Jenkins said. “And endowing this Professorship might very well trigger some ideas for other alumni about giving back to UT Southwestern.”

• Dr. Whitten holds the Margaret Milam McDermott Distinguished Chair in Anesthesiology and Pain Management.