Geoffrey Duncan Chisholm,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

FRCS Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional certification, professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an wikt:intercollegiate, ...

, MRCS (30 September 1931 – 10 November 1994) was a New Zealand-born, British urologist. He made extensive advances in renal x-rays. He was also a strong advocate of kidney transplants, promoting the advantages of live donors.

Life

Chisholm was born of Scots descent in

Hāwera Hāwera is the second-largest centre in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight. The origins of the town lie in a government military base that was establishe ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, on 30 September 1931, the son of Ellen Marion Friston and Sedman Arthur Chisholm, manager of the New Zealand Meat Board. Chisholm was educated first at

Scots College, Wellington Scots College is an independent (private) Presbyterian school. It is located in the suburb of Strathmore Park, Wellington, New Zealand. Under the leadership of an Executive Headmaster, the College comprises three schools, the Junior School for ...

and then went to the UK with his parents to live in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

around 1946, and completed his studies at

Malvern College Malvern College is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging coeducational boarding school, boarding and day school in Malvern, Worcestershire, Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is a public school (United Kingdom), public school ...

. Chisholm then received a place at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

graduating with an MB ChB in 1955. As a medical student this also included much time at the Medical School in

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

. Chisholm returned to London soon after graduating and began specialising in urological subjects with a strong academic component. In 1961, Chisholm began a three-year period of work and study in the US, under a Medical Foundation Travelling Fellowship, beginning at the Brady Urological Institute and then moving to

Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

before finally ending in the White Memorial Hospital in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. Here he learned further specialisation on surgery concerning the

prostate The prostate is an male accessory gland, accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found in all male mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemica ...

. On returning to the UK, Chisholm took up the post of Consultant Urologist at

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...

Hospital. In 1972, Chisholm returned to Scotland as a lecturer the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, becoming a full Professorship in 1977, replacing the recently retired Sir

Michael Woodruff Sir Michael Francis Addison Woodruff, (3 April 1911 – 10 March 2001) was an English surgeon and scientist principally remembered for his research into organ transplantation. Though born in London, Woodruff spent his youth in Australia ...

. He also began surgery at Edinburgh's

Western General Hospital The Western General Hospital (often abbreviated to simply ‘The Western General’) is a health facility at Craigleith, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is managed by NHS Lothian. History The hospital was designed by Peddie and Kinnear and opened as ...

. In 1979 Chisholm was elected a member of the

Harveian Society of Edinburgh The Harveian Society of Edinburgh was founded in April 1782 by Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744), Andrew Duncan. The Society holds an annual Festival in honour of the life and works of William Harvey, the physician who first correctly des ...

and served as President in 1992. In 1988, Chisholm was elected President of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

. He was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the

1992 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in the Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published ...

. In 1994 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

, his main proposer being Sir

. Chisholm died of a tumour in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

on 10 November 1994.

Publications

Chisholm was editor of the British Journal of Urology from 1977 and also editor of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. *''Scientific Foundations of Urology'' (three editions) *''Clinical Practice in Urology'' *''Tutorials in Postgraduate Medicine (Urology)''

Family

He married Angela Jane Holden in 1962. He had met her in Hammersmith when she was working as a biochemist in the Department of Surgery.

Artistic recognition

Chisholm portrait, painted in 1959 by Victoria Crowe, hangs in the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chisholm, Geoffrey Duncan 1931 births 1994 deaths People educated at Scots College, Wellington Alumni of the University of St Andrews New Zealand emigrants to the United Kingdom Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh British surgeons New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh People from Hāwera 20th-century surgeons British urologists Recipients of the St Peter's Medal Office bearers of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh