Aubrey Lewis
Encyclopedia
Sir Aubrey Julian Lewis, FRCP, FRCPsych
(8 November 1900- 21 January 1975), was the first Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry
, London
, and is credited with being a driving force behind the flowering of British psychiatry after World War II
as well as raising the profile of the profession worldwide.
, the only child of Jewish parents George Solomon Lewis, an accountant from England
, and his South Australian-born wife Ré Lewis, née Isaacs, an elocution teacher. He was educated at Christian Brothers College, Adelaide
, Wakefield Street, where he proved to be a gifted pupil. He went on to study medicine at the University of Adelaide
and graduated with distinction in 1923 (M.B., B.S.).
for two years and undertook anthropological research on Aborigines. In 1926 he accepted a Rockefeller Foundation
fellowship in psychological medicine. This brought him to the Phipps Clinic under the mentorship of Adolf Meyer
, whom he respected and admired greatly, and whose work he praised in lectures such as the Adolf Meyer Lecture in 1960. This was the start of two years postgraduate study performed in the USA and thence on to Germany
. Lewis then moved to the United Kingdom
and joined the staff of the Maudsley Hospital
in London
in 1928. In, 1931 he received his M.D. from the University of Adelaide
and in 1936 he became Clinical Director of the hospital . In 1938 he became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
.
was designated the Institute of Psychiatry
under the auspices of the University of London
and Lewis was appointed to the inaugural Chair of Psychiatry at the institute. He held this post until his retirement in 1966. It has been said that the flowering of British psychiatry after World War II
can be attributed to three factors: a long humanitarian tradition; the National Health Service
and Aubrey Lewis. Lewis built a reputation as a leader, educator and administrator and is credited with moulding the Institute into a model of scientific research and teaching attracting many of the most promising medical graduates from around the world. He is also credited with raising the profile of psychiatry worldwide, through his work as an adviser to general medical bodies, national and international research councils, and political organizations. He was a member of the Advisory Committee on Medical Research of the World Health Organisation.
Many esteemed psychiatrists worked under the direction of Lewis at the Institute of Psychiatry
, including Martin Roth
and Michael Shepherd
; the latter was at great pains to point out that Lewis's impact also extended to his contributions as a clinician, scholar and researcher, particularly in the field of epidemiology, but also genetics
, clinical phenomenology and biology
. He was perhaps most well known for his studies of melancholia and obsessional illness, and indeed guided the young Michael Shepherd on his research into morbid jealousy.
Sir Aubrey was known to have an austere appearance, which was captured in Ruskin Spear
's official portrait of 1966. However, to those who knew him his high standards of personal and professional integrity went with a warm, kindly, humorous disposition which earned him the affection of colleagues and friends. Michael Shepherd described him as a "representative man" in Emerson
's sense of the term.
, that Lewis’ reputation, achievements and qualities were recognized during his lifetime, except, paradoxically, in his native land. This lack of recognition began to be addressed in the decade following his death. On 5 November 1981 a memorial plaque was unveiled in his honour, having been sponsored by the South Australian Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
, the University of Adelaide
and the South Australian Association for Mental Health. The plaque is placed in the foyer of the Florey lecture theatre. The last line reads:
“He was a leading figure in British Commonwealth Psychiatry in the mid-20th century era, exerting great influence through his scholarship and inspirational qualities.”
In 1990 an Aubrey Lewis unit was opened at Royal Park Hospital
, Melbourne which prompted a newspaper article entitled, 'The man Adelaide forgot'. It began: 'Had Aubrey Lewis gone to St Peter's College and been interested in field sports his name would probably be well known to generations of South Australians. But he was Jewish, went to a Catholic school, his father was a nobody and he lived up the east end of Rundle Street - definitely the wrong side of the tracks for a prejudicial, parochial Adelaide of the 1920s'. However, writers have pointed out that these reasons for the lack of recognition of Lewis in South Australia should be tempered by two other factors, namely that for much of Lewis’ lifetime psychiatry had a traditionally inferior status, and perhaps more importantly for the latter part of his life he was unable through illness to revisit the country of his birth.
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
(8 November 1900- 21 January 1975), was the first Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and is credited with being a driving force behind the flowering of British psychiatry after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as well as raising the profile of the profession worldwide.
Early life
Aubrey Julian Lewis was born on 8 November 1900 in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, the only child of Jewish parents George Solomon Lewis, an accountant from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and his South Australian-born wife Ré Lewis, née Isaacs, an elocution teacher. He was educated at Christian Brothers College, Adelaide
Christian Brothers College, Adelaide
Christian Brothers College is a private Catholic school in the CBD of Adelaide, South Australia. It was founded by a group of Irish Christian Brothers in 1878, and it is now one of three Christian Brothers schools in the state....
, Wakefield Street, where he proved to be a gifted pupil. He went on to study medicine at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
and graduated with distinction in 1923 (M.B., B.S.).
Career
Lewis worked at the Royal Adelaide HospitalRoyal Adelaide Hospital
The Royal Adelaide Hospital is Adelaide's largest hospital, with 680 beds. Founded in 1840, the Royal Adelaide provides tertiary health care services for South Australia and provides secondary care clinical services to residents of Adelaide's city centre and inner suburbs.The hospital is situated...
for two years and undertook anthropological research on Aborigines. In 1926 he accepted a Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
fellowship in psychological medicine. This brought him to the Phipps Clinic under the mentorship of Adolf Meyer
Adolf Meyer (psychiatrist)
Adolf Meyer, M.D., LL.D., , was a Swiss psychiatrist who rose to prominence as the president of the American Psychiatric Association and was one of the most influential figures in psychiatry in the first half of the twentieth century...
, whom he respected and admired greatly, and whose work he praised in lectures such as the Adolf Meyer Lecture in 1960. This was the start of two years postgraduate study performed in the USA and thence on to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Lewis then moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and joined the staff of the Maudsley Hospital
Maudsley Hospital
The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in South London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the country...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1928. In, 1931 he received his M.D. from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
and in 1936 he became Clinical Director of the hospital . In 1938 he became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
.
Institute of Psychiatry
In 1946 the Maudsley HospitalMaudsley Hospital
The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in South London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the country...
was designated the Institute of Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
under the auspices of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and Lewis was appointed to the inaugural Chair of Psychiatry at the institute. He held this post until his retirement in 1966. It has been said that the flowering of British psychiatry after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
can be attributed to three factors: a long humanitarian tradition; the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
and Aubrey Lewis. Lewis built a reputation as a leader, educator and administrator and is credited with moulding the Institute into a model of scientific research and teaching attracting many of the most promising medical graduates from around the world. He is also credited with raising the profile of psychiatry worldwide, through his work as an adviser to general medical bodies, national and international research councils, and political organizations. He was a member of the Advisory Committee on Medical Research of the World Health Organisation.
Many esteemed psychiatrists worked under the direction of Lewis at the Institute of Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
, including Martin Roth
Martin Roth
Professor Sir Martin Roth FRS was a British psychiatrist.He was Professor of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 1977–85, then Professor Emeritus, and was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge from 1977. He was one of the pioneers in developing Psychogeriatrics as a subspecialty.-References:...
and Michael Shepherd
Michael Shepherd (psychiatrist)
Michael Shepherd, CBE, FRCP, FRCPsych , FAPA , FAPHA was one of the most influential and internationally respected psychiatrists of his time, formerly Professor of Epidemiological Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Consultant Psychiatrist, The Maudsley Hospital, London and author of a number...
; the latter was at great pains to point out that Lewis's impact also extended to his contributions as a clinician, scholar and researcher, particularly in the field of epidemiology, but also genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, clinical phenomenology and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. He was perhaps most well known for his studies of melancholia and obsessional illness, and indeed guided the young Michael Shepherd on his research into morbid jealousy.
Honours and awards
- Knighted in 1959.
- Honorary fellow of the Royal College of PsychiatristsRoyal College of PsychiatristsThe Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
- (1972).
Family and Personal Life
On 22 February 1934 at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, St Marylebone, he had married Hilda North Stoessiger, also a psychiatrist. Hilda died in 1966 which affected Aubrey greatly. They had two daughters and two sons, all of whom survived Lewis. Lewis died on 21 January 1975 in Charing Cross Hospital, London. A memorial service was held in April at the synagogue in which he had been married.Sir Aubrey was known to have an austere appearance, which was captured in Ruskin Spear
Ruskin Spear
Ruskin Spear, CBE, RA was an English painter.Born in Hammersmith, Spear attended the local art school before going on to the Royal College of Art in 1930...
's official portrait of 1966. However, to those who knew him his high standards of personal and professional integrity went with a warm, kindly, humorous disposition which earned him the affection of colleagues and friends. Michael Shepherd described him as a "representative man" in Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
's sense of the term.
The man Adelaide forgot
It had been noted by a number of commentators, including Michael ShepherdMichael Shepherd (psychiatrist)
Michael Shepherd, CBE, FRCP, FRCPsych , FAPA , FAPHA was one of the most influential and internationally respected psychiatrists of his time, formerly Professor of Epidemiological Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Consultant Psychiatrist, The Maudsley Hospital, London and author of a number...
, that Lewis’ reputation, achievements and qualities were recognized during his lifetime, except, paradoxically, in his native land. This lack of recognition began to be addressed in the decade following his death. On 5 November 1981 a memorial plaque was unveiled in his honour, having been sponsored by the South Australian Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is the principal organisation representing the medical specialty of psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand and has responsibility for training, examining and awarding the qualification of Fellowship of the College to medical...
, the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
and the South Australian Association for Mental Health. The plaque is placed in the foyer of the Florey lecture theatre. The last line reads:
“He was a leading figure in British Commonwealth Psychiatry in the mid-20th century era, exerting great influence through his scholarship and inspirational qualities.”
In 1990 an Aubrey Lewis unit was opened at Royal Park Hospital
Royal Park Hospital
Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital, commonly known as Royal Park is a former Receiving House and Psychiatric Hospital located in Parkville. Operating for over 90 years, Royal Park Hospital was the first psychiatric hospital established in Victoria after the Lunacy Act of 1903, and was intended for...
, Melbourne which prompted a newspaper article entitled, 'The man Adelaide forgot'. It began: 'Had Aubrey Lewis gone to St Peter's College and been interested in field sports his name would probably be well known to generations of South Australians. But he was Jewish, went to a Catholic school, his father was a nobody and he lived up the east end of Rundle Street - definitely the wrong side of the tracks for a prejudicial, parochial Adelaide of the 1920s'. However, writers have pointed out that these reasons for the lack of recognition of Lewis in South Australia should be tempered by two other factors, namely that for much of Lewis’ lifetime psychiatry had a traditionally inferior status, and perhaps more importantly for the latter part of his life he was unable through illness to revisit the country of his birth.
Publications
- The State of Psychiatry, Inquiries in Psychiatry (London, 1967)
- The Later Papers of Sir Aubrey Lewis (Oxford, 1977)
Further reading
- M. Shepherd and D. L. Davies (eds), Studies in Psychiatry (Lond, 1968);
- M. Shepherd, A Representative Psychiatrist (Cambridge, Eng, 1986);
- M. Shepherd, Sir Aubrey Lewis (Melb, 1991); Psychiatry and Social Science Review, 3, 1969, p 6;
- Journal of Psychiatric Research, 17, 1983, p 93;
- Times (London), 22 Jan 1975;
- Advertiser (Adelaide), 10 Mar 1990.