Dr. Alfred Bauer, Foe Of Diseases, Wars

Alfred Wilhelm Bauer was not proud to have been a Nazi soldier but did not hide the fact either.

The horrific experiences of his teen years in the war deepened his commitment to healing children and the planet: He spent his adult life as a physician battling disease and the spread of nuclear arms.

"Schtop!" was among his favorite words, delivered in a German accent, as in "We must schtop infection."

He tried to do just that in 1960 when he co-developed the Kirby-Bauer Test for finding the best antibiotic to fight a particular infection. He presented his idea for standardizing the language and procedures of then-complicated tests when he took postgraduate studies at the University of Washington Medical School under the direction of Dr. William Kirby.

Dr. Bauer and his wife also had "schtop" in mind when they distributed anti-war leaflets at the Seattle Opera House before cultural events. He also attached anti-war stickers to his customers' bills.

He died at his Kirkland home last Saturday (Jan. 10) from kidney failure. He was 72.

"Waging peace . . . anti-nuclear weapons and the arms buildup, that's where his great concern was," said his son, Steve Bauer of Seattle.

After World War II, following five generations of his relatives, Dr.Bauer became a physician, earning his M.D. in 1953 at the university in Tubingen, Germany.

He moved to the United States in 1956 for postgraduate work to allow him to practice medicine here. He became an American citizen. In 1959-60 he and Kirby "worked around the clock" in the UW labs to develop the Kirby-Bauer test, which was adopted by the World Health Organization.

"That's a test still being used worldwide," said his former colleague Frans Wery. "It's a remarkably simple test that can be done in small hospitals."

Dr. Bauer served as a pediatrician at Group Health (Seattle) in the 1960s, then opened Evergreen Pediatrics in Kirkland in 1972, serving thousands of families before he retired in December 1991.

He became more active with the Physicians for Social Responsibility group and compiled a three-volume chronicle detailing his family history for generations. He also enjoyed classical music, attending cultural events as much for fun as well as for marching around outside the Opera House with sandwich boards that read: "Enjoy Romeo & Juliet, but prevent the ultimate tragedy!"

Other survivors include his second wife, Elisabeth Jaco Bauer of Kirkland; his children John Bauer and Bettina Bauer, both of Seattle; and their mother (his former wife), Mary Bauer, Edmonds.

Services are at 1:30 p.m. today at University Presbyterian Church, 4540 15th Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA, 98105. Remembrances may go to the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program or Organ Fund at the church.

Carole Beers' phone message number is 206-464-2391. Her e-mail address is: cbee-new@seatimes.com