Ronald Jowett was born in Halifax on 5 March 1901, the eldest child of James Edward Jowett, a musician, and Emma, née Hoyle. Educated at Heath School, Halifax, and Leeds University, he qualified in 1922 and gained his MD in 1923. Thereafter he pursued a career in ear, nose and throat surgery at Leeds and Sunderland, passing the DLO in 1925 and serving as surgeon to the Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, from 1926. During the second world war he was an EMS surgeon. Between 1951 and 1970 he served the Regional Hospital Consultants' Association and the Regional Hospital Board (Vice-Chairman 1967-1970). He was elected FRCS in 1966 and was awarded the CBE in 1969. He married Lilian Waring in 1929 and of their two sons the younger, Andrew, became a surgeon. His wife, and their eldest son, Peter, predeceased him. His extracurricular interests included skiing (until aged 70), fishing, the pianoforte and the cello. He died 29 August 1986.