Arthur Wallis Kendall, the son of Dr J A Kendall was educated at Barnard Castle School, King's College, London, and King's College Hospital, qualifying in 1926 and graduating MB in 1927 and MS in 1934; he became FRCS in 1931. He held posts as house-surgeon at King's and as surgical registrar at the Westminster Hospital. He also served as medical officer in a cable ship. In 1934 he was appointed assistant surgeon to King's College Hospital. Elected Vice-Dean of the Medical School in 1938, he had little opportunity to make his mark on school policy because the outbreak of war in 1939 cut short his term of office. Already commissioned in the RNVR, he attained the rank of Surgeon-Captain and was awarded the VRD. He was surgeon to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, St Giles's Hospital, Camberwell, and the Norwood Cottage Hospital. He examined in surgery for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Society of Apothecaries, and the University of London. As a surgeon, Kendall had few equals; it was a joy to watch him in the operating-theatre. He never appeared to hurry, and his extraordinary economy of movement gave the impression of almost leisurely work, but he obviously thought out every step in advance and anticipated any difficulty. This permitted him to achieve a rare operating speed. He set himself a high standard and required an equally high standard from his assistants. He was somewhat aloof in manner, enormously well read in the field of English literature, and given to making laconic observations. He married Dr Verna Hackett, daughter of the late Sir John Hackett, KCMG, of Western Australia and sister of the present principal of King's College, Sir John Hackett, in 1930. They had two sons and two daughters. He died on 26 February 1975, aged 70 years.