Seifert, Martin H. (Martin Henry), 1902-1985

Martin Henry Seifert was born in Larrabee, Wisconsin, on September 14, 1902, to Ida Horn Seifert and Fred Seifert, a farmer. Seifert was educated at the University of Illinois at Chicago, receiving his degree in pharmacy in 1924, his B.S. in 1928 and his M.D. in 1930. He performed his internship at Evanston Hospital from 1930-1931.

Seifert began his teaching career serving as an Assistant in Anatomy at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1931. During World War II, he was appointed a First Lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps. He joined the faculty of the Northwestern University Medical School in 1942 as a Clinical Assistant in Medicine and became an Assistant Professor of Medicine there in 1954. He became Professor Emeritus in 1971. During his career he also taught courses at other Chicago-area universities, such as Loyola.

In addition to academics, Seifert spent much of his working life practicing internal medicine in Wilmette and Evanston. He had a private practice in Wilmette, where he lived with his wife Alice Haller Seifert, also trained as a pharmacist, and their five children. In 1963 he left private practice to become Associate Director of the Student Health Service at Northwestern, a position he held until 1977. Seifert also served as health commissioner of Wilmette for 47 years, from 1932 until 1979, and as an official at Cook Country Hospital and Evanston Hospital. He also spent time as president of the Chicago Medical Society, as well as belonging to numerous other medical associations.

During his medical career Seifert became recognized as an expert in infectious diseases. He served as a consultant on polio to the Wilmette and Evanston Health Departments during the 1940s and 1950s, and wrote about polio as well as about rabies, mononucleosis and meningitis.

Seifert died on August 20, 1985, in Evanston. Alice Seifert died on August 18, 1993.

From the guide to the Martin H. Seifert (1902-1985) Papers, 1928-1993, (Northwestern University Archives)