Ludvig Hektoen

Ludvig Hektoen (July 2, 1863 – July 5, 1951) was an American pathologist known for his work in the fields of pathology, microbiology and immunology. Hektoen was appointed to the National Academy of Sciences in 1918, and served as president of many professional societies, including the American Association of Immunologists in 1927 and the American Society for Microbiology in 1929. He was the founding editor of the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in 1926 and edited several other medical journals. He was knighted to the Order of St. Olav in 1929, and in 1933, he became professor emeritus of pathology at the University of Chicago. The Hektoen Institute for Medical Research—formerly the John McCormick Institute of Infectious Diseases—now bears his name.

Early life and education Hektoen was born on July 2, 1863, in Westby, Wisconsin, Career Professional appointments Hektoen began working as a pathologist at Cook County Hospital in 1889. The same year, he was hired as curator of the museum at Rush Medical College, and in 1890 he became a lecturer of pathology at Rush and physician to the Cook County coroner's office. Beginning in 1892, Hektoen held various professorships in pathology and morbid anatomy at Rush, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the University of Chicago, becoming head of the pathology department at Chicago in 1901. In 1933, he was appointed professor emeritus of pathology at the University of Chicago.

Hektoen served as president of many professional societies, including the Chicago Medical Society from 1919 to 1921, the American Association of Immunologists in 1927, and the Society of American Bacteriologists in 1929. In 1902, he was the founding director of the John McCormick Institute of Infectious Diseases, an organization dedicated to researching scarlet fever, which in 1943 was reopened as the Hektoen Institute for Medical Research.