Kate Fraser

CBE 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 ...

(10 August 1887 – 20 March 1957) was a pioneering Scottish

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

who sought to improve the well being and treatment of mentally ill patients. She was the first female Deputy Commissioner for the General Board of Control for Scotland in 1914 and Commissioner in 1935.

Early life and education

Kate Fraser was born on 10 August 1887 in Paisley. Her parents were Margaret Coats, a member of the town's mill-owning family, and Donald Fraser, a doctor. She had 4 sisters. She was educated at Miss Boag's School for Young Ladies and

Paisley Grammar School Paisley Grammar School is a secondary school in Paisley, the largest town in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The school was founded in 1576 by royal charter of King James VI and is situated on Glasgow Road. The school is recognised as one of Scotland's ...

, going on to

Swanley Horticultural College Swanley Horticultural College, founded in , was a college of horticulture in Hextable, Kent, England. It originally took only male students but by 1894 the majority of students were female and it became a women-only institution in 1903. Early hi ...

. In 1894, aged 16, she enrolled at the art faculty of the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, later transferring to the science faculty. In 1900, she graduated with a BSc with a distinction in

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

, followed by her

MBChB Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Kin ...

in 1903. In 1908, Fraser took a Diploma in Public Health. Her thesis for her 1913 MD was titled "Feeble-minded Children. An inquiry into a mental deficiency in school children with special reference to

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

as a causative factor as determined by the Wassermann reaction".

Career

After graduating, Fraser took a position as assistant physician at the Bridge of Weir Sanitorium, later becoming a junior resident at The Crichton Royal in Dumfries, a psychiatric hospital that encouraged patients to participate in activities. In 1907, she founded the Paisley Mental Welfare Association. As the first woman School Medical Officer in Govan from 1908, Fraser introduced intelligence tests in schools. Fraser was the first female Deputy Commissioner for the General Board of Control for Scotland in 1914 and Commissioner in 1935. In this role, she petitioned for those with mental health conditions to be included in the Disabled Person's Employment Act (1958). Fraser retired from this position in 1945. During the Second World War, Fraser put in place a rehabilitation scheme for servicemen who had been discharged on medical grounds. Fraser also had a long association with Waverley Park Home in Dunbartonshire. Fraser and Aidan Thomson co-authored ''Inquiry into Matters Arising out of the Methods of Discipline used at Waverley Park Certified Institution'' in 1938, in response to allegations of abuse. In 1947, Fraser retired from her role as Commissioner of the General Board of Control for Scotland and became Chair of the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and Chairman of the Scottish Division of the Royal Medico-Psychological Association.

Personal life

Fraser never married and lived with her housekeeper until her death in Paisley on 20 March 1957.

Legacy

Fraser gained an international reputation for her work in mental healthcare. The Scottish Association for Mental Health was based on the model for the Paisley Mental Welfare Association.

Awards and honours

Fraser was appointed a CBE for her contribution to mental welfare at the age of 68.

References

External links

The Scottish Association for Mental Health
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Kate 1887 births 1957 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow People from Paisley, Renfrewshire 20th-century Scottish medical doctors Scottish women medical doctors Scottish psychiatrists Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century women physicians 20th-century Scottish women