Dr John G. Howells (MBBS 1943)

Provided by Dr Roger Howells

John Gwilym Howells, MD, FRCPsych, AKC, DFAPA, FLS was formerly Director of the Institute of Family Psychiatry from 1950 to 1985, an Institute associated with the University of Cambridge. He instigated family psychiatry in the UK, having been trained as a child psychiatrist. A progressive, he determinedly lead the movement to establish a Royal College of Psychiatrists. While running a busy clinical service for the people of East Suffolk he researched, developed and applied his family psychiatry model for 35 years. He was a sought-after lecturer and trainer across the world, particularly in the USA where he was awarded the Distinguished Fellowship of the American Psychiatric Association. He was a prolific author – writing or editing 48 books in six languages, as well as many scientific papers – expounding ideas on issues as various as child welfare, history, psychopathology, psychiatry and medicine, and his key focus – the concepts of experiential psychopathology and the creation of a salutiferous society. His Fellowship of the Linnean Society reflected his scientific contribution to the study of the genus Clematis.