Murray Pheils was professor of surgery at the University of Sydney. He was born in Birmingham on 2 December 1917, the younger of the two sons of Elmer Theodore Pheils, an osteopath, and Lilian Mary née Cole. His father Elmer was a colourful character: he was born in Toledo, Ohio, and trained as an o

Sir Robert Shields enjoyed a distinguished career in surgery and in academic and health service administration. He was professor of surgery and chairman of the department of surgery and honorary consultant to the Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen hospitals from 1969 to 1996. His unit was int

Joel Wilson Baker was chair of the department of surgery at Virginia Mason Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, USA. He was born in Shenandoah, Virginia, in 1905 and studied medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, qualifying MD in 1928. He moved to Seattle in 1930 to join a group

Claude Organ was a distinguished American surgeon and the second African-American President of the American College of Surgeons. He was born in 1927 in Marshall, Texas, and educated at Terrell High School, Denison, and then Xavier University, Louisiana. Denied acceptance to the University of Texas o

Born in Urmia, Persia on 2 September 1881 he graduated from Columbia University, New York in 1908 and subsequently became Valentine Mott Professor of Surgery there at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He served throughout his career on the staff of the Presbyterian Hospital, New York and was D

Donald Robertson Webster was professor of surgery at McGill University and surgeon-in-chief of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada. He was born on 7 January 1912, the son of a doctor from Pictou, Nova Scotia, and graduated from Dalhousie University in 1925. After postgraduate studies at

Duncan Stout was not deterred by having a famous father, Sir Robert, who became Chief Justice of New Zealand, Chancellor of the University and Prime Minister. In his own time he too achieved eminence in New Zealand, becoming Chairman of Council of Victoria University, Wellington and subsequently Cha

Jacques Turcot came from a Canadian family with a long medical tradition. He was Associate Professor of Surgery at Laval University, where he had trained at the medical school. He gained a great reputation for his work as a skilful general surgeon at L'Hôtel-Dieu de Quebec, especially for his long-t

John Dunphy was one of the group of North American surgeons who did so much to form a bond of lasting friendship with young and old Fellows of the College after the second world war. Born in Northampton, Massachusetts, John Dunphy was educated at the Holy Cross College (SJ) and at the Harvard Medica

Born 12 January 1862 at Westport, Connecticut, the eldest son of Horace Bradley Coley, farmer, and Clarine Bradley Wakeman, his wife. He was educated at Westport School, at Yale University (1880) and at the Harvard Medical School (1886-88). He acted as instructor in surgery at the New York Postgradu

Roger James was a general surgeon who lived and worked in Canada. He qualified from the University of Sheffield in 1953 and passed the fellowship in 1960. He moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where he was on the staff of the Misericordia General and Victoria General Hospitals. He died on 18 January 2007.

Lloyd Nyhus was the first Warren Cole professor and head of surgery, and the second academic surgeon, at the University of Illinois, Chicago. During his 22 years as head of the department, Nyhus developed innovative, multidisciplinary residency programmes for more than 300 doctors and recruited top-