From his early studies in chemical engineering to his distinguished medical career, James Robert “Bob” Spencer’s journey has been driven by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a desire to make a difference.

His experience engineering complex systems made him well-suited for medicine, leading to his specialization in pathology and a leadership role at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. During his 42-year tenure as chief of pathology, he significantly expanded the department and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many contributions.

As he approached retirement, Spencer, M.D. ’65, felt a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunities he had been afforded throughout his career and the people who supported him along the way at UF and beyond.

With this in mind, he established the Dr. and Mrs. James Robert Spencer Professorship of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine at the UF College of Medicine. This fund supports excellence in teaching, research, and clinical services in the field of pathology.

“Pathologists have little contact with patients, so few people tend to give to that field,” Spencer said. “I knew I wanted to help support physician-pathologists and the department. It was my way of honoring the profession that had given me so much.”

In addition to the professorship, Spencer recently established a medical student scholarship at UF. The James Robert Spencer, M.D. Medical Scholarship Endowment aims to provide financial support to aspiring physicians.

“I believe everyone deserves access to a quality education,” he said. “I hope this scholarship will help ease some of the financial burdens students face and allow them to focus on their studies.”

Reflecting on his accomplishments, Spencer is filled with a sense of pride and appreciation. The oldest of three children, he was born and raised in Milton, Florida, a small town located in the Panhandle. During his formative years, he remembers the significant influence of his high school math teacher, Creary Hamilton, whose dedication to teaching left an indelible mark on his young mind.

“Mr. Hamilton took all of us under his wing, even coming to school over summer vacation to teach those of us who were eager to learn,” Spencer said. “He saw potential in me and encouraged me to pursue my interests in engineering.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Spencer worked for several years as an engineer at the Chemstrand/Monsanto Nylon production plant in Pensacola, Florida. However, he soon found himself drawn to health care and decided to apply to medical school at UF.

His years in Gainesville were marked by studying and working while living in Shutt Village, former housing for married graduate students, where he and his wife made friends with neighbors and spent time fishing.

UF provided him with the foundational knowledge and skills he needed to embark on his journey as a physician. After completing his medical education, Spencer pursued his residency in internal medicine in the Osler medical wards at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he encountered the complexities of clinical practice firsthand.

“It was a challenging time, but also incredibly rewarding,” Spencer said. “I learned the importance of perseverance and adaptability.”

Following residency, he worked for two years in the laboratory branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and then pursued a subspecialty in pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Spencer’s career ultimately led him to Sarasota Memorial Hospital in 1970, where he served as chief of pathology until he retired in 2012. During his tenure as chief, which he refers to as “both an honor and responsibility,” he grew the department from three to 10 pathologists and received the hospital’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments.

After decades of professional success, Spencer’s advice to current medical students is to embrace the rapid progress in disease diagnosis and treatment by choosing a specialty they are comfortable with and can stay engaged in.

“You’ll never be bored,” he said, emphasizing the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the medical field.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Spencer is a lover of nature with a deep appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the world around him. In 1986, he traveled to the Andes mountains in South America to see Halley’s Comet, and in the early 1990s he traveled to Baja California in Mexico to observe and photograph his first total solar eclipse.

“Once you see one eclipse you have to see more,” he said.

On another expedition, he returned to the Andes just north of Chile. While on that trip, he visited Easter Island and studied the Moai monolithic statues. This visit inspired him to write a poem about the Moai that was published in the Rapa Nui Journal, a local publication about discoveries on the island.

Spencer also enjoys the arts and has attended a variety of performances both at home and abroad, ranging from Wagner to the Broadway musical Hamilton. He has seen over 200 operas — including lengthy performances such as Wagner’s “The Ring Cycle” and “The Verdi Cycle.”

Looking back on his path filled with a lifelong curiosity and passion for learning, Spencer hopes his contributions will inspire others to give back and make a positive impact. His legacy at UF and beyond is marked by his dedication to education, medicine, and the continuous pursuit of knowledge and beauty in the world.