Robert Earl Beamish, (September 16, 1916 – February 17, 2001) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

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

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...

Early life and education

Beamish was born in

Shoal Lake, Manitoba Shoal Lake is a locality in the southwest of Manitoba, Canada. Originally incorporated as a town, Shoal Lake amalgamated with the Rural Municipality of Shoal Lake on January 1, 2011 to form the Municipality of Shoal Lake, which became the Rural ...

on September 16, 1916, the son of Henry and Mary May (McLeod) Beamish. He graduated with a B.A. from

Brandon College Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrollment of 3375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon C ...

in 1937. In 1942 he was awarded an M.D. in 1942 and two years later B. Sc. (Med.) from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

after being awarded a Nuffield Dominion Travelling Fellowship.

Career

He served in Canada with the

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Militia Medical Service was established in 1898. It consisted of an Army Medical Service (officers) and an Army Medical Corps (other ranks). ...

from 1944 to 1946, retiring with the rank of captain. Upon returning to Canada, Beamish began his efforts to have the study and treatment of heart disease established as a legitimate field of medical specialty in Canada. He pioneered the idea that by lowering

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

the risk of heart disease was significantly lowered. He served as a physician and cardiologist at the University of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre and the Manitoba Clinic, where he established the department of cardiology. In 1970, he joined the Great West Life Assurance Co., becoming Vice President, Underwriting and Medical. He was appointed Professor Emeritus of the University of Manitoba in 1989 and received honorary degrees from

Brandon University Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrollment of 3375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon Co ...

and the University of Manitoba. He was a Founding Director of the Manitoba Heart Foundation and served on its Medical Committee for over 30 years. He was also chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada from 1970 to 1972. He was President of both the Manitoba Medical Association and the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is the co-author of ''Manitoba Medicine: A Brief History'' (1999, ). In 1990 he was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. In 2000 he was made a Member of the

Order of Manitoba The Order of Manitoba (french: Ordre du Manitoba) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter Liba granted Royal Assent to The Order of Manitoba Act, the order is administe ...

Personal life and death

In 1943, he married Mary Kathleen Weekes. They had three daughters: Catherine (born 1949), Judith (born 1953) and Mary Anne (born 1955). Beamish died in Winnipeg on February 17, 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beamish, Robert 1916 births 2001 deaths Canadian cardiologists Members of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Manitoba University of Manitoba alumni University of Manitoba faculty Canadian Army personnel of World War II Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps officers Canadian expatriates in the United Kingdom