Alfred Keogh
Encyclopedia
Sir Alfred Henry Keogh, GCB
, GCVO
, CH
(3 July 1857 – 30 July 1936) was a medical doctor in the British Army
.
Born in Dublin, the son of Henry Keogh, barrister and magistrate of Roscommon
, Alfred Henry Keogh was educated at Queen's College, Galway
, and Guy's Hospital, London
. He received his M.D.
from the Queen's University of Ireland
in 1878. He went on to excel academically at the Army Medical College
, Netley
, gaining the Herbert prize and the Martin memorial medal.
He joined the army as a surgeon
in 1880. In March 1892, he was appointed Surgeon Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps
(RAMC), and achieved the position of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1900. Following the Boer War
Sir Alfred Keogh carried through the changes which turned the RAMC into a proper medical service and encouraged research against typhoid by setting up a proper school of Army Hygiene at Mytchett near Aldershot
. Keogh also helped create the Territorial Force which would be the forerunner of the Territorial Army.
He was made Director General of the Army Medical Service in 1904. He was reappointed to this position at the outbreak of World War I
. Under the scheme devised by Keogh, public buildings were earmarked for use during times of war; this far sighted policy proved crucial in World War I. He was appointed Rector of Imperial College London
and served from 1910–1922.
An original portrait of Sir Alfred Keogh by Arthur Hacker
RA hangs in the RAMC HQ Mess at Millbank
, London
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CH
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
(3 July 1857 – 30 July 1936) was a medical doctor in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
Born in Dublin, the son of Henry Keogh, barrister and magistrate of Roscommon
Roscommon
Roscommon is the county town of County Roscommon in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 5,017 . The town is located near the junctions of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.-History:...
, Alfred Henry Keogh was educated at Queen's College, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
, and Guy's Hospital, London
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
. He received his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from the Queen's University of Ireland
Queen's University of Ireland
The Queen's University of Ireland was established formally by Royal Charter on 3 September 1850, as the degree-awarding university of the Queen's Colleges of Belfast, Cork, and Galway that were established in 1845 "to afford a university education to members of all religious denominations" in...
in 1878. He went on to excel academically at the Army Medical College
Army Medical College
Army Medical College, Abid Majeed Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan was established in 1977 and serves as the medical training university of the Pakistan Army. It has been certified by the National University of Sciences and Technology.-History:...
, Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
, gaining the Herbert prize and the Martin memorial medal.
He joined the army as a surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
in 1880. In March 1892, he was appointed Surgeon Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
(RAMC), and achieved the position of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1900. Following the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
Sir Alfred Keogh carried through the changes which turned the RAMC into a proper medical service and encouraged research against typhoid by setting up a proper school of Army Hygiene at Mytchett near Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
. Keogh also helped create the Territorial Force which would be the forerunner of the Territorial Army.
He was made Director General of the Army Medical Service in 1904. He was reappointed to this position at the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Under the scheme devised by Keogh, public buildings were earmarked for use during times of war; this far sighted policy proved crucial in World War I. He was appointed Rector of Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
and served from 1910–1922.
An original portrait of Sir Alfred Keogh by Arthur Hacker
Arthur Hacker
Arthur Hacker was an English classicist painter.Born in London in 1858, Hacker was the son of Edward Hacker, a line engraver specialising in animal and sporting prints...
RA hangs in the RAMC HQ Mess at Millbank
Millbank
Millbank is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. Millbank is located by the River Thames, east of Pimlico and south of Westminster...
, 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...
.
Legacy
- The Keogh Platoon is named in honour of Sir Alfred Keogh, who is enshrined in the history of the Royal Army Medical CorpsRoyal Army Medical CorpsThe Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
(RAMC).
- The Keogh Barracks at AldershotAldershotAldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, was also named in Sir Alfred Keogh's memory.
- Keogh Hall, a hall of residence at Imperial College London is named in his honour.
Sources
- Mark Harrison, "Keogh, Sir Alfred (1857-1936)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University