Dr Alexander Thomas Hawthorne
Personal Details
Dr Alexander Thomas Hawthorne MB ChB FFARCS BAO, DA
Kown as: Alec
05/09/1911 to 23/02/1991
Place of birth: London, England
Nationality: British
CRN: 530422
Education and qualifications
| General education | Foyle College, Londonderry Medical School at Queen’s University, Belfast |
|---|---|
| Primary medical qualification(s) | MB ChB, Queen’s University, Belfast, 1938 |
| Initial Fellowship and type | FFARCS by Election/Examination |
| Year of Fellowship | 1953 |
| Other qualification(s) | BAO, Queen’s University, Belfast, 1938 DA (RCP&S), 1944 |
Professional life and career
Postgraduate career
After graduation Hawthorne was a house officer at Hartlepool Hospital and at Clayton Hospital, Wakefield. Next he was Assistant Medical Officer at Townleys Hospital, Bolton. In 1941 he joined the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve as a Flight Lieut. (Medical Branch). Seconded to the Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics in Oxford, he ended his war service in charge of anaesthesia at RAF Hospital, Ely. On demobilisation in 1946 he was appointed as a Registrar in Anaesthetics at Leeds General Infirmary. In 1948 he was appointed Consultant Anaesthetist to United Leeds Hospitals, Leeds Regional Hospital Board and the Ministry of Pensions. Later he was also Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Anaesthetics at the University of Leeds. He retired about 1976.
Professional interests and activities
He was a member of the British Medical Association, and of the Yorkshire Society of Anaesthetists. At Leeds General Infirmary he introduced general anaesthesia for oesophageal atresia and open heart surgery. He became chairman of the Department of Anaesthetics at Leeds, and promoted recruitment, training, the development of intensive care, and establishment of the chair of anaesthesia at the University of Leeds. He co-authored a paper on fulminating hyperthermia and general anaesthesia, published in 1968.
Other biographical information
He married Bessie Hodgson in 1940 and they had four children. Having been athletic in his youth, he was an enthusiastic follower of Irish rugby football. He was a freemason and enjoyed fishing and golf. Sadly his leisure pursuits were curtailed after his retirement by ill health. He died at the age of 79, survived by his family.
Author and sources
Author:
Dr Alistair McKenzie
Sources and comments:
[1] Obituary A T Hawthorne FFARCS. BMJ 1991; 302: 1597-8. [2] Medfical Registers and Directories. [3] ancestry.co.uk