Harold Rodgers was Professor of Surgery at Queen's University, Belfast. He was born in Buldana, near Bombay, India, the third child and second son of Thomas Rivers Rodgers, a medical officer and prison governor, and Elizabeth Idee née Brinkworth, whose father was a civil servant. As a boy he became an excellent marksman, shooting game in the jungle. He obtained his early education at King's College School, Wimbledon, before entering St Bartholomew's Medical College. Throughout these years he excelled in athletics, also playing rugby, cricket and tennis. His academic abilities led to the Harvey prize at Bart's. Most of his early medical career was spent at his alma mater, where he demonstrated anatomy, before becoming casualty surgeon. Later, as chief assistant, he was influenced by Sir Charles Gordon Watson, Reginald Vick, Sir Clifford Naunton Morgan, John Hosford and Sir James Paterson Ross. Sir Thomas Dunhill and William J Mayo were also involved in these formative years. His early use of the gastroscope followed a pre-war visit to Germany, and his main interests developed in gastro-intestinal surgery. He served in the RAMC for six years. He was awarded the OBE in 1943 for his care of an isolated guards regiment, which held a important crossroads outside Tunis under heavy bombardment for four months. He was demobilised as a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1947 he was appointed to the post of Professor of Surgery at Queen's University, Belfast, and continued in the role until 1973, developing a first-class service in the new NHS, and becoming well known for his clear and didactic teaching in a modern department. His military experience was invaluable in shaping the efficient system which evolved for the rapid evacuation and treatment of casualties, and he took pride in the neutrality of the hospital environment. He examined for the College from 1961 to 1967, ultimately becoming Chairman of the Court of Examiners. As founder member, he became President of both the Surgical Research Society and the British Society of Gastro-enterology. Many of his publications were in the latter field, and he contributed to early editions of Bailey and Love, Rob and Smith, and also wrote articles on peritoneoscopy and gastroscopy. He was an early protagonist of sclerotherapy for bleeding oesophageal varices, and some of his earlier operative work in portacaval surgery was performed in collaboration with Alan Hunt in the management of portal hypertension. As an active Christian, he served as president of the Christian Medical Fellowship, president of the YMCA in Belfast and of the Hibernian Christian Medical Society and was a church warden in a thriving London church. In retirement, he enjoyed travel, painting and poetry. His interest in developing countries led him to tour Africa, India and Nepal as a World Health Organisation visiting professor. In the 1990's he was active with his son in trying to promote a peaceful solution to the problems in the Sudan, in the late 1990's lobbying the Foreign Office and the Sudanese Embassy in the process. He married Margaret, the daughter of a doctor from St Thomas's Hospital, in 1938. He had one son, who followed his father into the medical profession, and three daughters. After caring for his ailing wife when in his 90's, he moved to Birmingham and lived near his son in his own home until 10 days before his death in a hospice on 24 June 2001.