Dr. William B. Jackson was born in 1936 in Oklahoma and was proud of his heritage as an Okie, having worked on oil rigs in his youth. He graduated from Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1964 and took his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. Dr. Jackson served his country during the Vietnam War and rose to the rank of Captain in the Navy.

At a time when very few radiologists were specialists, Dr. Jackson trained in Nuclear Medicine, the only subspecialty of radiology which existed at the time. He was one of the last radiologists in Tacoma who performed both diagnostic and therapeutic radiology before these two fields split in the 1970’s. During his long career in Tacoma, he developed expertise in the new imaging techniques of ultra-sound, CT, MRI and PET scanning.

 

Dr. Jackson joined Tacoma Radiology in 1972 as the sixth radiologist. He served as President of Tacoma Radiology for 17 years, a record which still stands and will likely never be broken. During his time with TRA, the group grew to more than 100 radiologists and more than 500 employees, becoming one of the largest private radiology groups in the country. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Tacoma Radiology, Dr. Jackson extensively researched the local history of radiology, authoring and publishing a book titled: The First 100 Years - The History of Radiology in South Puget Sound.

 

He was president of the Washington State Radiology Society in 1984 and president of the Pierce County Medical Society in their Centennial year in 1988. He served as Chief of Staff at Tacoma General Hospital and of Puget Sound Hospital. Dr. Jackson was a Fellow of the American College of Radiology, an honor awarded to only 10% of radiologists. He was personally responsible for fluoridation of water in Tacoma which he felt was his duty to the children of Tacoma. Dr. Jackson was the quintessential people person! He loved his patients, his partners, his clinical colleagues and staff in the hospitals and offices. He was forever seeking out win-win situations which would benefit everyone, but especially his patients.

 

Dr. Jackson served on the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation Board and was continually dedicated to its mission to promote better health and wellbeing by advancing access to medical imaging services and workforce development opportunities. He believed in mentoring, supporting and guiding the next generation to continue to provide excellence in healthcare now and for years to come. It is our honor to announce that our scholarship program will be named The Dr. William B. Jackson Scholarship Fund.

 

The TRA’s Medical Imaging Foundation’s Education Fund provides financial support to individuals interested in developing their Imaging Sciences career through financial scholarships, mentoring and residency opportunities. Consistent with its mission the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation established a scholarship program for students enrolled in Tacoma Community College’s Radiologic Technologist Program and Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Program; and Advanced CT Certification and are placing significant emphasis on applicants from diverse backgrounds and needs.