William Ritchie Russell
Life
Life
----

Russell was born in [Edinburgh](/wiki/Edinburgh "Edinburgh") on 7 February 1903 the eldest of six children of Beatrice Ritchie, the daughter of civil engineer James Ritchie, and [William Russell](/wiki/William_Russell_%28physician%29 "William Russell (physician)"), Professor of Medicine at the [University of Edinburgh](/wiki/University_of_Edinburgh "University of Edinburgh").Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The family lived at 3 Walker Street in Edinburgh's West End.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1903

He was educated at [Edinburgh Academy](/wiki/Edinburgh_Academy "Edinburgh Academy") then studied medicine at the [University of Edinburgh](/wiki/University_of_Edinburgh "University of Edinburgh") (partly under his father). He graduated with an [MB ChB](/wiki/Bachelor_of_Medicine%2C_Bachelor_of_Surgery "Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery") in 1926 and then became a physician and house surgeon at [Edinburgh Royal Infirmary](/wiki/Edinburgh_Royal_Infirmary "Edinburgh Royal Infirmary") on Lauriston Place. In 1928 he moved to [London](/wiki/London "London") as resident medical officer at the National Hospital on Queen Square. In 1930 he returned to Edinburgh as a tutor under a [Medical Research Council](/wiki/Medical_Research_Council_%28United_Kingdom%29 "Medical Research Council (United Kingdom)") grant. He received his doctorate (MD) in 1932\.

In 1934 he was elected a member of the [Harveian Society of Edinburgh](/wiki/Harveian_Society_of_Edinburgh "Harveian Society of Edinburgh"). In 1937 he was elected a Fellow of the [Royal Society of Edinburgh](/wiki/Royal_Society_of_Edinburgh "Royal Society of Edinburgh"). His proposers were [Edwin Bramwell](/wiki/Edwin_Bramwell "Edwin Bramwell"), Sir [Robert Philip](/wiki/Robert_Philip "Robert Philip"), [Arthur Logan Turner](/wiki/Arthur_Logan_Turner "Arthur Logan Turner") and Sir [Sydney Alfred Smith](/wiki/Sydney_Alfred_Smith "Sydney Alfred Smith").

In 1938 he began lecturing in [neurology](/wiki/Neurology "Neurology"). In the [Second World War](/wiki/Second_World_War "Second World War") he served with the [Royal Army Medical Corps](/wiki/Royal_Army_Medical_Corps "Royal Army Medical Corps") at the Military Hospital for Head Injuries in [Oxford](/wiki/Oxford "Oxford") and as Consultant Neurologist to the forces in the Middle East, rising to the rank of [Brigadier](/wiki/Brigadier "Brigadier"). He became an expert on gunshot wounds to the head. Another of his classic works was the relation of traumatic amnesia to the severity of head injury.

In 1945 [Sir Hugh Cairns](/wiki/Hugh_Cairns_%28surgeon%29 "Hugh Cairns (surgeon)") appointed him as consultant neurologist to the [RAMC](/wiki/RAMC "RAMC") (based in [Oxford](/wiki/Oxford "Oxford")). In 1952 he was created a Commander of the [Order of the British Empire](/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire "Order of the British Empire") (CBE).

In 1966 he became the first Professor of Neurology at the [University of Oxford](/wiki/University_of_Oxford "University of Oxford"). Over and above his interests in brain surgery he became an expert in [polio](/wiki/Poliomyelitis "Poliomyelitis") following the post\-war epidemic which began in Britain after the war.

He helped to design a block of flats for the elderly, named Ritchie Court (off [Banbury Road](/wiki/Banbury_Road "Banbury Road") in Oxford) in his honour. He lived his final years there and died on 8 December 1980\.


Where was Russell born?