Godfrey Heath Fowler,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, FRCP,

FRCGP The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the professional body for general practitioners, general (medical) practitioners (GPs/Family Physicians/Primary care physician, Primary Care Physicians) in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represe ...

FFPH The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is a public health association in the United Kingdom established as a registered charity. It is the standard setting body for public health specialists within the United Kingdom, setting standards for training ...

(1931 – 29 March 2022) was a British academic, general practitioner and medical scientist. He was Professor of General Practice at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

between 1996 and 1997.

Early life and education

Fowler was born in 1931, in Wolverley, Worcestershire, to Dorothy (née Bealey) and the businessman Donald Fowler. He was educated at Sebright School.Jake Piper (21 April 2022)
Godfrey Fowler obituary
''

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'' (accessed 1 May 2022) He attended

University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the univer ...

(1950–1954), and was then at

University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College London ...

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until 1956, when he graduated with his medical degree ( BM BCh). He completed the

Diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

(DObst RCOG) in 1958 and the Diploma in Child Health (DCH) the next year.Tom Bewley and John Jones (eds.), ''The Balliol College Register'', 7th ed. (2005), p. 174.

Career

Fowler entered

general practice General practice is the name given in various nations, such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to the services provided by general practitioners. In some nations, such as the US, similar services may be describe ...

in 1959 and worked in Oxford from 1961. He was the college doctor to Balliol College (1974–1991) and to Queen's College, and promoted the foundation of counselling services for students. In 1972, he was appointed a

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

Fellow and in 1978 became a professorial fellow at Balliol and a clinical

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in general practice at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. He was awarded the title of

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of General Practice in 1996, and retired the following year, retaining an

emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

fellowship at Balliol. His research was in the field of preventive medicine, including interventions to promote smoking cessation and healthy dietary habits. He studied whether a person's risk of developing cancer or cardiovascular disease could be reduced by advice or health checks from their GP. He also studied changes in primary care, including how care for chronic diseases is delivered. He was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in the

1989 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supple ...

. He was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (elected in 1996), the

Royal College of General Practitioners The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the professional body for general (medical) practitioners (GPs/Family Physicians/Primary Care Physicians) in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including l ...

(elected in 1978) and the Faculty of Public Health.

Personal life

In 1961, Fowler married Sissel Vidnes; they had two sons, one of whom died in 1995. Fowler died on 29 March 2022, aged 90.Godfrey Heath Fowler OBE 1931-2022
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Publications

* (Editor, jointly with Muir Gray) ''Preventive Medicine in General Practice'' (

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1982). * (Editor, jointly with Muir Gray) ''Essentials of Preventive Medicine'' ( Blackwell Scientific, 1984).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, Godfrey 1931 births 2022 deaths British general practitioners Alumni of University College, Oxford Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford Officers of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Fellows of the Royal College of General Practitioners Fellows of the Faculty of Public Health