Harold Vernon Ingram was born in Durham on 6 June 1902, the second child and elder son of William Jesse Ingram, a headmaster, university lecturer and bursar of Bede College, and of Eleanor Ingram (née Coates). From school he went to the College of Medicine of Durham University and qualified in 1924. After resident appointments in South Shields he decided to train in ophthalmology at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Eye Hospital and was duly appointed honorary ophthalmic surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children, Newcastle- upon-Tyne, honorary assistant surgeon at Newcastle Eye Hospital in 1931, ophthalmic surgeon, Royal Victoria Infirmary and ultimately head of the department of ophthalmology in the United Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals in 1950. He was also consultant ophthalmologist to the Gateshead and South East Northumberland Hospital Group, and regional adviser in ophthalmology. As a Territorial Army officer, he was called up at the outbreak of war in 1939 with the rank of Major RAMC, serving in the United Kingdom and France and later, from 1942 to 1945 in South-East Asia. In 1942 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and became adviser in ophthalmology to the Allied Land Forces in South East Asia Command, and to the Central and Eastern Commands in India. He was awarded the TD in 1942, and the OBE (Mil) in 1945. Vernon Ingram had been elected to membership of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom in 1935 and, on returning to his hospital appointments after the war, he became an ex-officio member of its council in 1955. A member of the Faculty of Ophthalmologists, he was elected to Council in 1950, was Vice-President in 1965-67, and subsequently an honorary member. An industrious worker, he combined a happy family life with his many hospital appointments and private practice. He was also active in clinical research, and is especially remembered for his development, in conjunction with the International Research and Development Company and the Scientific Research Committee of the United Newcastle Hospitals, of a ruby laser ophthalmoscope which was one of the pioneer instruments in this method of eye treatment. He also devotedly advanced the departments of ophthalmology in the Newcastle Hospitals, which resulted in the establishment of a Chair of Ophthalmology in the University of Newcastle. He married Elizabeth Montaubon in 1934 and visitors were always warmly welcomed to their home. They had two daughters, one of whom trained as an orthoptist, and a son, who is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in Brighton. Harold Ingram died, aged 78, on 15 August 1980 and was survived by his wife and three children, Jocelyn, David and Carol.