Donald Whatley Roy (22 May 1881 – 9 December 1960) was a British obstetrician and gynaecologist at

St George's Hospital St George's Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Tooting, London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It shares its main hospital site i ...

, London.

Early life and education

He was born at

Appleton Roebuck Appleton Roebuck is a village and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. The village is about south-west of York. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Holme Green and Nun Appleton, and covers an area of around . The parish ...

on 22 May 1881, the son of the Rev. James Roy. He attended

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (historically known as "Sussex College" and today referred to informally as "Sidney") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1 ...

. He won a university scholarship to St. George's Hospital, qualifying in medicine in 1906 and graduating (M.B., B.Ch.) in 1907. He became a Fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgery, surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wa ...

on 8 June 1908.

Military career

When

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

broke out, he served as a Navy surgeon in the

Grand Fleet The Grand Fleet was the main battlefleet of the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was established in August 1914 and disbanded in April 1919. Its main base was Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. History Formed in August 1914 from th ...

with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He then transferred to the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

, serving as temporary major at the Northampton War Hospital from 1917 to 1918.

Medical career

He returned to London and was appointed to the consulting staff of St George's Hospital, where he worked for the rest of his professional life. He also served as physician to the

General Lying-in Hospital The General Lying-In Hospital was one of the first maternity hospitals in Great Britain. It opened in 1767 on Westminster Bridge Road, London and closed in 1971. Lying-in is an archaic term for childbirth (referring to the month-long bed rest ...

and

Samaritan Hospital for Women The Samaritan Hospital for Women was a hospital in Marylebone Road, London, UK. It is a Grade II listed building. History The hospital had its origins in the Gynaepathic Institute which was founded by Dr William Jones in Manchester Square in Janu ...

. He was a member of the Board of Advanced Studies and senior examiner in obstetrics and gynecology at

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. He served as examiner for Cambridge University,

Worshipful Society of Apothecaries The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence. The society is a me ...

and the English Conjoint Board. He also served as secretary and vice-president of the Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...

. He was made a foundation fellow of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

in 1929Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). (2014
RCOG Roll of Active Service, 1914-1918.
London: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. p. 13
Archived here.
/ref> He also was librarian of the College from 1 October 1937 to 25 January 1941, when he stepped down due to ill health. He died on 9 December 1960, and was survived by his wife and three children, one of whom was the economist A.D. Roy. His papers are held at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Archives.

References

External links

Roy, Donald Whatley (1881 - 1960).Records of Donald Whatley Roy, FRCOG.
1881 births 1960 deaths Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Fellows of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 20th-century British medical doctors Royal Army Medical Corps officers British Army personnel of World War I Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England British gynaecologists British obstetricians Royal Navy personnel of World War I {{UK-med-bio-stub People from Selby District Medical doctors from Yorkshire