Dr William Alexander Low
12/11/1893 to 26/05/1970
Place of birth: Weybridge, Surrey
Nationality: British
CRN: 715207
Also known as: Sandy
Education and qualifications
|
General education |
Fettes College, Edinburgh; St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School |
|---|---|
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Primary medical qualification(s) |
MRCS LRCP, 1920; MBBS, London, 1922 |
|
Initial Fellowship and type |
FFARCS by Election |
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Year of Fellowship |
1948 |
|
Other qualification(s) |
DA(RCP&S), 1939 |
Professional life and career
Postgraduate career
Low’s training was interrupted by WW1 in which he served with distinction as a gunnery officer, winning the MC. His early career was in general practice, with administration of anaesthetics as an integral part, but one which came to predominate. He was elected an Honorary Anaesthetist to St Thomas’s in 1931, and was also on the Senior Staff of the London Chest, St Mark’s and Royal Masonic Hospitals. With the onset of WW2 anaesthetics had become his full time occupation, and he worked at St Thomas’s until 1959.
Professional interests and activities
His major contributions were in organisation and administration, particularly of the AAGBI, serving as its Honorary Secretary (mid 1940s), Vice-President (1949) and President (1950-3). Thus he was closely involved in the developments in both the NHS and the specialty in that period, was a member of the Foundation Board of Faculty and also President of the Section of the RSM (1950-1).
Other biographical information
Tall, with a build to match, he was a charming and kind man who was a keen Freemason and a dedicated golfer.
Author and Sources
Author: Prof Tony Wildsmith
Sources and any other comments: Obituary. Anaesthesia 1970; 24: 587, and thanks to Dr D Justins for reviewing the form and providing some additional material. Photo from College collection.