Sir Edwin Cooper Perry,

GCVO The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

(1856-1938) was a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and medical administrator who became

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

of the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

. He played a significant part in the foundation of the

College of Nursing Nurse education consists of the theoretical and practical training provided to nurses with the purpose to prepare them for their duties as nursing care professionals. This education is provided to student nurses by experienced nurses and other med ...

, now the

Royal College of Nursing The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Elizabeth II was the patron until her death in 2022. ...

, in 1916 and later the

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine. The inst ...

.H. L. Eason, ''Perry, Sir (Edwin) Cooper (1856–1938)'', rev. Patrick Wallis, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 5 August 2012
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Early life

He was born in

Darlaston Darlaston is an industrial town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. It is located near Wednesbury and Willenhall. Topography Darlaston is situated between Wednesbury and Walsall in the valley of the Riv ...

West Bromwich West Bromwich ( ) is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is north-west of Birmingham. West Bromwich is part of the area known as the Black Country, in terms of geography, c ...

, Staffordshire, England on 10 September 1856, the only son of Edwin Cresswell Perry who became a schoolteacher in

Castle Bromwich Castle Bromwich () is a large suburban village situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of the West Midlands. It is bordered by the rest of the borough to the south east; also Sutton Coldfield to the east and ...

in 1859 and then vicar of

Seighford Seighford ( ) is a village and civil parish about west of Stafford in Staffordshire, England. The population of this civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,793. The ford across a small stream is the origin of the village's toponym. The village ...

, Staffordshire, in 1861, where Perry spent his early years. A primary school there is named after him.

Education

He was initially educated by his father and then won a scholarship to

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

where he was head of school. He then attended

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...

, where he was "senior classic" by obtaining the highest honors in the classical

tripos At the University of Cambridge, a Tripos (, plural 'Triposes') is any of the examinations that qualify an undergraduate for a bachelor's degree or the courses taken by a student to prepare for these. For example, an undergraduate studying mathe ...

in 1880. He then became a medical student.

Career

In 1883 he was assistant lecturer in medicine at King's and assistant demonstrator of anatomy at Cambridge medical school. In 1885 he joined the

London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and Tower Hamlets and sp ...

as house surgeon and qualified MRCS. In 1887 he became assistant physician, demonstrator of anatomy, and then physician at

Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. ...

and a year later dean of Guy's medical school. In 1889 he helped establish a dental school at Guy's. He was superintendent at Guy's from 1897-1920. He was awarded

in 1935 in recognition of services to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

's Hospital Fund. Along with his colleague, Sir Alfred Fripp, he had been knighted in 1903 for service to the Reform Committee of the Royal Army Medical Corps - including the setting-up of the

Royal Army Medical College The Royal Army Medical College (RAMC) was located on a site south of the Tate Gallery (now known as Tate Britain) on Millbank, in Westminster, London, overlooking the River Thames. The college moved from the site in 1999 and the buildings are no ...

at Millbank, London. From 1900-1905 he was a member of the Senate of the University of London representing of the faculty of medicine. He served as vice-chancellor of the university 1917-1919 and from 1920-1926 as principal.

Personal life

In 1890 he married Caroline Matilda MacManus of

Kiltimagh Kiltimagh () is a town in County Mayo in Ireland. As of the 2016 census, the town had a population of 1,069 people. Although there in no river going through the town, three rivers flow around the town: the Glore River, Yellow River and Pollagh ...

, Ireland and they had one daughter. His wife died in 1935 and Perry on 5 December 1938 at his home in

Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Ho ...

, Sussex. After

cremation Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre is ...

his ashes were buried at the church in his old home at Seighford. Of all Perry's great talents his most important contributions were as an outstanding administrator.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Cooper 1856 births 1938 deaths 20th-century English medical doctors Vice-Chancellors of the University of London Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order People educated at Eton College Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Physicians of Guy's Hospital

Early life

Education

Career

Personal life

See also

References