Short and wiry, Dr. Jay Scherer was a strong man with huge warm hands. He had a wonderful sense of humor, a generous spirit, and a big heart.  He never tired of doing massage and would come out of his treatment room at age 84 doing a little dance, saying, “If you do it right, it gives you energy.”

Jay trained hundreds of students in his home on McKenzie Street in Santa Fe from the 1960’s until 1979 when he founded the Scherer Institute, then named Dr. Jay Scherer’s Academy of Natural Healing. His love and passion for massage therapy was central to all his work. Jay was a naturopathic physician who practiced homeopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine, color therapy, colonic irrigation, and spiritual healing. He was a pioneer in the naturopathic field, passionately committed to the body’s innate healing mechanisms and the body of knowledge that evolved and was often passed down from teacher to student in a mentoring tradition.

In 1984 Dr. Jay Scherer, along with curandera Gregorita Rodriguez, was named Santa Fe’s first Living Treasure, an honor bestowed on elders who have made a significant contribution to the community.  It is not surprising that two healers were chosen for this honor, which has been a continuing tradition now in Santa Fe. The city is a mecca for a while range of healing arts, and Dr. Scherer is one of the main reasons for that.

Dr. Scherer was indeed a living treasure, and since his death in 1990 his influence and legacy continue to make a profound impact on the students and clients who are touched by his life’s work.  Thank you Dr. Jay!

Dr. Jay Victor Scherer
March 19, 1907 – November 17, 1990