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medical genetics clinic

Tage Kemp

 

Tage Kemp
Photo kindly borrowed from Medical Museion

Tage Kemp (28 August 1896 – 7 January 1964) graduated in 1921 in medicine. Then, he was educated at various hospitals, and from 1923 he was engaged by Oluf Thomsen’s institute researching the fields of  bacteriology, blood typing, tissue typing, endocrinology and heredity.  In 1927 he earned a doctorate with the thesis Studies of sex characters in foetuses. 

After the death in 1927 of the professor of plant physiology at the University of Copenhagen Wilhelm Johannsen, the professor of general pathology Oluf Thomsen was assigned the task of directing a grant  to educate a younger physician to later potentially to accept a chair in human genetics and eugenics under the medical faculty. By February 1935,  Oluf Thomsen made a proposal to the Board of Education to institute a chair  in Human Genetics and Eugenics at the University of Copenhagen under the medical faculty. At the same time, he proposed the foundation of an Institute for Human Genetics and Eugenics in order to render possible research in this field. In the preceding year negotiations had been initiated between Oluf Thomsen, The University of Copenhagen, the Ministries and the Rockefeller Foundation. The result was the erection of the building at Tagensvej 14, although without the later addition of a first floor. The University Institute for Human Genetics was inaugurated 14 October 1938 with Tage Kemp as the leader.

An intensive research developed quickly during Tage Kemp’s inspiring leadership. Young researchers carried out comprehensive medical-genetical investigations resulting in  twenty-five theses during the first ten years. Many of very high quality - and they are still used as reference today. In August 1956 in Copenhagen Tage Kemp hosted the first International Congress in Human Genetics. During the period 1938-59 Tage Kemp edited an Opera series: 42 volumes comprising theses and other publications from the institute: Opera ex Domo Biologiae Hereditariae Humanae Universitas Hafniensis.

Tage Kemp died 7 January 1964 and was succeeded by Jan Mohr (1921- ) as professor in human genetics.

In January 2007 around 50 medical theses were kindly handed over to the Medical Genetics Clinic from Kemp’s son, Axel Kemp. For the majority of the theses Tage Kemp has acted as an official opponent, and some of the theses include his own handwritten/typewritten notes for his official opposition at the defence of a dissertation. The titles can be seen by clicking here.

Much more can be read in Lene Koch’s book Racehygiejne i Danmark 1920-56 (Gyldendal, 1996, in Danish).

September 2008, Kirsten Fenger