Notable Members
Dr. Leonard Rowntree
As devoted follower of William Osler, Dr. Leonard Rowntree became an honourary president of the Osler Society in 1935. As a 1905 graduate of Western’s Medical School, Rowntree never got to be a club member as an undergraduate student, but was welcomed with open arms after his pioneering work in kidney research. Rowntree was also a notable name in the study of the history of medicine after his published biography of Dr. James Parkinson, which continues to be the most widely referenced biography of the English doctor. In 1930, Western University established the Rowntree Prize for the best essay on the history of medicine, of which many winners were members of the Osler Society.
Dr. Angus McLachlin
Dr. Angus McLachlin was an active member of the Osler Society before graduating from Western’s Medical School in 1932. After commanding an overseas surgical unit during the Second World War, Dr. McLachlin returned to Western University as Chairman of the Department of Surgery for 30 years, retiring in 1974. Dr. McLachlin is known for founding and serving on 19 different medical and surgical societies, is considered to be the founder of modern surgery in Southwestern Ontario, and one of the leaders of surgery in Canada.
Dr. Murray Barr
Dr. Murray Barr graduated from Western’s Medical School in 1933. He was an active member of the Osler Society during his school years, even winning the Rowntree Prize for Medical History in 1931. After the Second World War, Dr. Barr returned Western University to teach at the Medical School, and served as an honourary president of the Osler Society in 1954
Dr. Barr became a notable physician and researcher after his discoveries and contributions to the field of genetic testing. Dr. Barr also co-wrote the authoritative textbook on neuroanatomy, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. In 1998, Dr. Murray Barr was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
Never forgetting his love for medical history, as fostered by his time in the Osler Society, Barr also wrote A Century of Medicine at Western, outlining the history of the medical school at Western University from 1876-1976.
Dr. Don Bondy
Dr. Donald Clarence Bondy is the Osler Society's oldest living member. Bondy originally joined the Osler Society in the 1950s, and served as the society president for the 1954-1955 school year. Bondy graduated from Western's Medical School in 1956, receiving many honours that year, including winning the Rowntree Prize in the history of medicine. Bondy remained in London, completing an internship at Victoria Hospital, starting as an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, and becoming a pioneering gastroenterologist at University Hospital. In 2007, Bondy was recongized for his work and given the Distinguished Service Award from the Ontario Association of Gastroenterology. Dr. Bondy maintains active participation in the Royal Canadian Legion.
