Theodore R. Fetter, MD, served as the fifth chair from 1951 to 1967. Between the innovations of department chairman David M. Davis and the research initiatives of Paul D. Zimskind, his stewardship was described as ruling the department with a steady, heavy hand. Dr. Fetter's educational background consisted of a BS from Lafayette College and an MD from Jefferson (1926). He remained as an intern at the Jefferson Medical College Hospital for the next 27 months, and during this he selected urology as his lifetime interest. Dr. Fetter remained at Jefferson and worked under the auspices of three chairmen, Drs. Loux, Stellwagen and Davis. His secondary interest was urologic pathology, and he studied under Dr. B. L.Crawford, Director of Clinical Laboratories.
Dr. Fetter was a dominant presence and was quite critical in ward rounds, which caused him to be portrayed as a "hard taskmaster." However, his students excelled in clinical training, especially in cystoscopy which was taught under his direct supervision. His medical practice philosophy was to present “the utmost in scientific and compassionate care to the patient.” Dr. Fetter's accomplishments were beyond that of a clinician. His numerous publications expanded a wide spectrum of urinary topics and were a significant literary contributor on genito-urinary disease in the classical text Anspach, Gynecology. He served as president of the Pennsylvania State Medical Society in 1952, and as president of the Mid Atlantic Section of the American Urological Association.
During Dr. Fetter's chairmanship, modern urology was developing rapidly. Intravenous pyelography, better cystoscopes, resectoscopes with Bovie machines for electric cutting and coagulation, use of antibiotics, and anesthesia with use of intravenous fluids, and blood loss replacement were all major advances. The residents and medical students were trained with the latest instrumentation and presented knowledge on the changing concepts of general urology. Dr. Jules Bogaev, who assisted Dr Fetter, was largely responsible for the ward service from which the senior residents received their experience, with primary responsibility for pre and postoperative patient care and performing surgical procedures. The students were most fortunate to know teaching and attending urologists such as Jules Bogaev, Walter Baker, Willard Drake, Solomon Kensal, Alex Raney, Louis Wilkerson and Nicolas Varano. These clinicians taught, by example, humanity and respect for the dignity of the house staff and the patients – be they charity or private. During this time Jefferson urologist Dr. Willard Drake was the first urologist to use the word "urodynamics." He invented the Drake uroflowmeter, which thousands of urologists used in their office to diagnose bladder outflow problems.
