George Stanley Nelson

Abstract

George Nelson was one of the great medical parasitologists of the 20th Century, and among the last members of an elite group of British expatriates who helped control the parasitic deseases of colonial Africa. His many and varied contributions were based on a deep, broad and practical understanding of the subject, an ability to think ‘outside of the box’, and his skill in communicating, both verbally and on paper. Several of his publications have become parasitological classics, and some of his novel ideas have stimulated many others to investigate them further. Born in Kendal (Cumbria, U.K.) on 27 November 1923, George was his parents’ second child, later becoming one of the family’s four children; his two brothers and sister all predeceased him. He attended Heversham Grammar School in the Lake District, initially as a day boy but later becoming a boarder. He became head boy and was selected to play rugby for the England under 16s, gaining a cap playing against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. Whilst at school, George developed a keen interest in natural history, especially in ornithology — an enthusiasm he retained throughout his life. George chose at an early age to study medicine and after school matriculated into the School of Medicine at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. In 1948 he received his M.B. and Ch.B. and was awarded medals in anatomy, physiology, pathology and medicine. In 1952 George demonstrated his flair for tropical medicine by being the recipient of the Milne Medal on the completion of the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. In 1956 he obtained his M.D. from St Andrews and was awarded the University Gold Medal. In 1960 he took the Diploma in Applied Parasitology and Entomology examination at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, while in 1966 he received his D.Sc. from St Andrews. He later became F.R.C.Path. and in 1981 went on to earn his F.R.C.P. at London University. From 1948–1949 George was a house physician at the Dundee Royal Infirmary, and it was in Dundee that he met his future wife Sheila, a nurse, whom he married on 25 August 1951 in Nairobi Cathedral. They were to have four children, two of whom, Alan and Patricia, were born in Kampala, Uganda, whereas Timothy was born in Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology, Vol. 103, No. 4, 369–372 (2009)