Joseph Harris Batjer was born on October 2, 1915, in Houston, Texas, United States. His father, Atwell Linton Batjer was a graduate of Vanderbilt University and was an Engineer and Oil Executive, who was the President of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers from 1939 to 1947. His mother, Lucy Harris, was the third woman to graduate from the University of Texas.
In 1933, Batjer graduated from The Kinkaid School. He then studied Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, graduating in 1937. He then earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins in 1942.
After graduating from Johns Hopkins, Batjer was drafted into the Army and served as an Army Surgeon in the Pacific Theater, where he attained the rank of Colonel. Then, after completing his residency at the Columbia University Hospital, Batjer became a Neurosurgeon at the Cornell University Hospital. In 1953, Batjer became a Neurosurgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 1961, Batjer became Chief Surgeon at Mass General, holding that position until 1980. During this time, Batjer was accused of violating the Fair Employment Act. In 1971, Batjer testified before Congress regarding the Fair Employment Act.
