George Augustus Auden (27 August 1872 – 3 May 1957) was an English physician, professor of

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

, school medical officer, and writer on archaeological subjects.

Biography

Auden was born at Horninglow, Burton-upon-Trent, the sixth son of John Auden, the first vicar of the Church of St John the Divine, and his wife Sarah Eliza, daughter of William Hopkins, of

Dunstall Dunstall is a small village and civil parish in the borough of East Staffordshire, Staffordshire, England. It lies between Burton upon Trent and Barton-under-Needwood. The population of the parish at the 2001 census was 215, decreasing to 209 ...

, Staffordshire. The Audens were minor gentry with a strong clerical tradition, originally of

Rowley Regis Rowley Regis ( ) is a town and former municipal borough in Sandwell in the county of the West Midlands, England. It encompasses the three Sandwell council wards of Blackheath, Cradley Heath and Old Hill, and Rowley. At the 2011 census, the com ...

, which was then in Staffordshire. He was educated at

Repton Repton is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, located on the edge of the River Trent floodplain, about north of Swadlincote. The population taken at the 2001 Census was 2,707, increasing to 2,8 ...

and at Christ's College, Cambridge, taking a first-class degree in natural sciences in 1893. He studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, and qualified in medicine in 1896. He then held several medical appointments in London before moving to

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, where he was physician at

York County Hospital York County Hospital (1740–1977) was a hospital in York, England. The building, which is grade II listed, has been converted for residential use. History The hospital has its origins in a small hospital established in Monkgate in April 1740. ...

for fourteen years. His son

W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in ...

was born at 54

Bootham Bootham is a street in the city of York, in England, leading north out of the city centre. It is also the name of the small district surrounding the street. History The street runs along a ridge of slightly higher ground east of the River Ous ...

, York, in 1907, and in 1908 he moved to

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

, where he became the first School Medical Officer and Lecturer in Public Health at

Birmingham University , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

. Here he gained an international reputation as an innovative researcher and educator. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he served as a medical officer in the British Army in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, Gallipoli, and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. He retired as School Medical Officer in 1937, but continued at the university and became Professor of Public Health in 1941. He married Constance Rosalie Bicknell in 1899. They had three sons: Bernard, who became a farmer; the geologist

John Bicknell Auden John Bicknell Auden (14 December 1903 – 21 January 1991) was an English geologist and explorer, older brother of the poet W. H. Auden, who worked for many years in India with the Geological Survey of India and later with the Food and Agricultu ...

; and the poet

. His archaeological interests are reflected in ''Historical and Scientific Survey of York and District'' (1906), which he edited, and to which he contributed the chapter on prehistoric archaeology. Among his publications were: * ''Historical and Scientific Survey of York and District'' (1906) *"Heights and weights of Birmingham school children in relation to infant mortality". ''School Hygiene'', 1910:290–91. *"The Birmingham Open-Air School". ''The Medical Officer'', 1912;7:253–55. *"An experiment in the nutritive value of an extra milk ration". ''Journal of the Royal Sanitary Institute'', 1923;44:236–47. *"An unusual form of suicide" (on auto-erotic strangulation), ''Journal of Mental Science'', 1927;73:428–31.

References

*"G. A. Auden", ''British Medical Journal'', 18 May 1957 (1(5028):1187) *"George Augustus Auden", ''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles, ...

'', 11 May 1957 (272(6976):999) {{DEFAULTSORT:Auden, George Augustus 1872 births 1957 deaths Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge 20th-century English medical doctors British Army personnel of World War I Academics of the University of Birmingham People educated at Repton School Alumni of the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital Royal Army Medical Corps officers British public health doctors

Biography

Archives

References