In Memoriam of In Memoriam of Jack Jones, MD | 1932 - 2025
April 24, 2025
John Walker Jones, MD, fondly known as Jack, died peacefully April 6, 2025, at the age of 93. Jones was an innovative teacher, beloved physician and influential faculty member in the college’s history.
Jones joined the college in 1969 and was responsible for the development and implementation of focal problems, a precursor to problem-based learning (PBL). The college was one of the first to use PBL-like curriculum, following its initial creation at McMaster. The current Shared Discovery Curriculum and its symptom-based structures follows Jones’ innovative work.
Jones received his medical degree from Medical College of Virginia, where he completed his internship and internal medicine residency as chief resident. During his time at the University of Washington, Jones completed specialty training in cardiology, participated in pioneering diagnostic use of treadmill exercise in the laboratory and conducted basic lipid biochemistry research. Jones also served as a cardiologist in the United States Public Health Service.
While in East Lansing, his primary focus as medical educator was combined with clinical research on hypertension. Jones started the first cardiac ultrasound program at MSU. Jack went on to become a geriatrician, and he and Margaret remained on the faculty for more than 40 years.