Harry Botterell

Botterell, Edmund Harry

Edmund Harry Botterell, neurosurgeon, medical educator (b at Vancouver 28 Feb 1906; d at Kingston 23 Jun 1997). Graduation in medicine from the University of Manitoba was followed by neurosurgical training at University of Toronto and research at Yale. During WWII Botterell served as senior neurosurgeon to No 1 Canadian Neurological Hospital, Basingstoke, England. On returning to Toronto, as chief of The Joint Services Neurosurgical Unit, Christie St Hospital, he became committed to the rehabilitation of paraplegic veterans.

In 1952 he was appointed chief of neurosurgery at the Toronto General Hospital and he was chairman of University of Toronto's division of neurosurgery 1953-61. Between 1962 and 1971 Botterell served as dean of medicine and then vice principal (health sciences) at Queen's. His personal magnetism and enthusiastic leadership stimulated unprecedented expansion in teaching, research and patient care in Kingston. In recognition of his valuable contributions, Queen's named the newly built Medical Sciences Building (1979) Botterell Hall. He was later commissioned to study health-related matters in penitentiaries. In addition to receiving many honorary degrees and holding numerous honorary society memberships, his honours include the Order of Canada and an OBE.