14 Facts About Aubrey Lewis

Sir Aubrey Julian Lewis, was a British-Australian psychiatrist.

Aubrey Lewis 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.

Aubrey Julian Lewis was born on 8 November 1900 in Adelaide, the only child of Jewish parents George Solomon Lewis, an English accountant known only as George Lewis, and his South Australian-born wife Rachel "Re" Lewis, a sister of Levi Isaacs, prominent member of Adelaide's Jewish community.

George Lewis married Re Isaacs, elocution teacher and Adelaide Synagogue's longtime Sabbath School teacher, at the Synagogue on 16 August 1899.

Aubrey Lewis was educated at Christian Brothers College, Wakefield Street, Adelaide, where he proved to be a gifted pupil.

Aubrey Lewis worked at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for two years while undertaking physical anthropological research on Aboriginal Australians, in 1925 making detailed observations of twenty-six aborigines to record colour of hair, eyes and skin, ear formation, eyebrow ridges and what he termed 'personality characteristics'.

Aubrey Lewis then moved to the United Kingdom and joined the staff of the Maudsley Hospital London in 1928.

In 1946, the Maudsley Hospital's medical school was re-designated the Institute of Psychiatry under the auspices of the University of London and Aubrey Lewis was appointed to the inaugural Chair of Psychiatry at the institute.

Aubrey Lewis held this post until his retirement in 1966.

Aubrey 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.

Aubrey Lewis is 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 organisations.

Aubrey Lewis was a member of the Advisory Committee on Medical Research of the World Health Organization.

Aubrey Lewis was perhaps best known for his studies of melancholia and obsessional illness, and indeed guided the young Michael Shepherd on his research into morbid jealousy.

Aubrey Lewis had an austere appearance, captured in Ruskin Spear's official portrait of 1966.