Sir Gordon Ethelbert Ward Wolstenholme, (28 May 1913 – 29 May 2004) was a British medical doctor, and the founding director of the Ciba Foundation.

Early life and education

He was born in Sheffield, the son of a mechanical engineer, and educated at Repton School and

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th century ...

. He studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and qualified with the Conjoint diploma LRCP MRCS in 1939 after which he obtained the Cambridge MA in 1940. After leaving the army he graduated MB BChir at Cambridge in 1948. From 1940 to 1947 he served with the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

, retiring as a lieutenant-colonel. 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 o ...

(OBE) for his military work in the provision of blood for transfusions throughout Europe and the Middle East. On his return to Britain he was appointed to the post of founding director of the Ciba Foundation (now Novartis Foundation), an organisation established to encourage international co-operation in scientific research. He was President of the Royal Society of Medicine from 1975 to 1977
Harveian Librarian
of the Royal College of Physicians from 1979 to 1989 and Master of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries from 1979 to 1980. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1976.

Personal life

He died in 2004 and was survived by his second wife Dushanka. His grandson is American music producer

Alex Pall The Chainsmokers are an American electronic DJ and production duo consisting of Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart. They started out by releasing remixes of songs by indie artists. The EDM- pop duo achieved a breakthrough with the ...

The Chainsmokers The Chainsmokers are an American electronic DJ and production duo consisting of Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart. They started out by releasing remixes of songs by indie artists. The EDM- pop duo achieved a breakthrough with the ...

References

1913 births 2004 deaths People from Sheffield People educated at Repton School Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 20th-century English medical doctors Officers of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Presidents of the Royal Society of Medicine Knights Bachelor Royal Army Medical Corps officers British Army personnel of World War II Presidents of the Osler Club of London Medical doctors from Yorkshire {{UK-med-bio-stub