Jimmy Rogers, track star, doctor, and long-lived heart transplant recipient, dies at 91

Jimmy Rogers, 91, of Philadelphia, a college track star who grew up in Guyana, a doctor for nearly two decades in West Philadelphia, and the recipient of a heart transplant that extended his life for 32 years, died Wednesday, Nov. 17, of heart failure at his home in Wynnefield Heights.

Dr. Rogers arrived in the United States from Guyana in 1951 after earning a track scholarship at Baltimore’s Morgan State College, now Morgan State University. He became one of the school’s celebrated Flying Four mile relay runners and dominated the national college and amateur track scene from 1952 to 1955.

After college and his medical training, he moved to West Philadelphia in 1970, established a private practice, and was an attending urologist at Misericordia and Mercy-Douglass Hospitals. Misericordia is now owned by Public Health Management Corp. and is called the Public Health Campus on Cedar. Mercy-Douglass closed in 1973.

In 1989, after living for several years with a heart condition, Dr. Rogers underwent a heart transplant at Temple University Hospital. He amazed doctors with his ensuing longevity and went on to work part time, travel, and enjoy three more decades of fulfilling family and social life.

He was also an advocate for organ donation programs and took part in many Gift of Life transplant registry events. On average, according to statistics, heart transplant recipients live for about 14 years after their transplants.

“He took good care of himself, used the treadmill all the time, and had an active life that exceeded expectations,” said his wife, Brenda.

Born Feb. 2, 1930, in Blankenburg, Guyana, Dr. Rogers went to high school in Georgetown, Guyana, and was recruited to Morgan State by legendary track coach Eddie P. Hurt. He became the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s 440-yard individual champion in 1953, 1954, and 1955 and was a member of many Morgan State championship relay teams.

Running with Otis Johnson, Herman Wade, and Joshua Culbreath — they were also known as the Speed Merchants — he was part of 13 national college relay championships and 26 major titles, including five victories at the Penn Relays. The men traveled the country and world to attend the biggest meets and are still the only relay team to win a national Amateur Athletic Union championship three years in a row with the same runners.

Dr. Rogers was inducted into the Morgan State hall of fame in 1977 and CIAA hall of fame in 2013. He also was president of the college’s chemistry club in 1955 and international club in 1954 and 1955.

After Morgan State, Dr. Rogers earned his medical degree in 1960 from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., and completed an internship and residency in urology at the now-closed Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St Louis.

He worked at first in St. Louis, then moved to Philadelphia and later lived in Wyncote and Willow Grove. He focused on helping his community and was a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society and the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Dr. Rogers married Willetta Howell, and they had son James Jr. and daughters Mary and Jacqueline. After a divorce, he married Brenda Donaldson, and they had son Marc and daughter Marisa. Jacqueline died earlier.

Popular and personable, Dr. Rogers kept in touch with his former Flying Four teammates and for years spent an April weekend at Franklin Field catching up with them and taking in the action at the Penn Relays. He liked to laugh and joke with family and friends, and he followed football, basketball, track, and tennis.

He returned to Guyana several times and visited Europe and the Caribbean. He moved with his wife to Wynnefield Heights in West Philadelphia in 2006.

“He had an excellent sense of humor,” said his wife, “and he was joking with his nurses just a week before he died. He loved people, and he loved being with people.”

In addition to his wife and children, Dr. Rogers is survived by six grandchildren, a sister, and other relatives. A brother and his former wife died earlier.

A memorial service is to be held later.

Donations in his name may be made to the Gift of Life Donor Program, Att. Anna Mudd, 401 N. Third St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19123, and Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Ln., Baltimore, Md. 21251.