James Warren Smith

James Warren Smith was born in Lewiston, Utah on July 5th, 1934 to Kenneth Warren Smith and Nina Sykes Smith. As a child, Jim experienced much of the American West because his father, a large animal veterinarian, held several positions in Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. The family later moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where he attended high school and met his future wife, Nancy Chesterman. He attended Iowa State University, and then transferred to the University of Iowa to begin his medical studies. After an internship in Denver, he undertook a residency in Pathology in Iowa City, Iowa, and then served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander at Chelsea Naval Hospital in Boston. A faculty position at the University of Vermont was his next career move, followed by a tenured position at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

At Indiana, Jim served as Professor of Pathology and later became chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. His specialties were microbiology and parasitology.

He and his team discovered a drug combination which was successful in treating AIDS complications. Jim also served on the Microbiology Resource Committee of the College of American Pathology.

Jim traveled many times to Kenya to work with the AMPATH Consortium, helping Moi University turn their rudimentary histology lab to a full-fledged immunohistochemistry lab. He also served on the board of the Indiana Medical History Museum. After his retirement in 1990, he was a recipient of the IU School of Medicine Ritchey Award, in recognition of his continuing contributions to these organizations.

Jim always embraced life with gusto and a robust sense of humor. He is fondly remembered by those who have met him for regaling all with his quick and sharp wit and his encyclopedic memory of jokes on nearly any topic imaginable. He loved spending time with his family and friends, and he enjoyed traveling, golf and skiing.

Surviving Jim are his beloved wife Nancy, his sons Warren Randall Smith (Geralyn) and Scott Fraser Smith (Julia), his grandchildren Elizabeth, Bennett, Margaret, and Eliot; his brother Stanley Smith, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother, George Smith.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial contribution to either AMPATH at https://give.myiu.org/iu-indianapolis/I380016128.html or the Indiana Medical History Museum at https://www.imhm.org/support, both of which Jim passionately and generously supported.

The portrait of Jim is by the Indianapolis artist Mary Johnston Brown.

A Celebration of Life honoring Jim will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, from 11am – 3pm with a program beginning at 11:30am at Leppert Mortuary – Nora Chapel, 740 E 86th St, Indianapolis, followed by food and refreshments.

To share a memory, please visit www.leppertmortuary.com.