University of Birmingham Staff Papers: Papers of John Edwards

Research and other professional papers relating to John Hilton Edwards, his career as a geneticist at the University of Birmingham (1956-1979) and later at Oxford University (1979-1995). The papers consist of biographical material including curricula vitae, biographical summaries and obituaries; research notebooks including some dating from his undergraduate studies at Cambridge University; reports, case notes and other material generated during his participation in the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in the early 1950s; papers relating to teaching and administrative work at both Birmingham and Oxford; research papers including notebooks and case files; research into the history of science including files on the work of individual genetic scientists and genetically modified organisms; drafts and publications; drafts of lectures with illustrative slides; papers relating to visits and conferences; papers relating to Edwards' role in a number of professional and scientific societies and organisations; substantial correspondence files containing correspondence covering most aspects of his professional life; notes and research material on Edwards' ethical and political views; and photographs. The collection also includes digital material held on 3.5 inch floppy disks, comprising computer programs, data, drafts, and letters.

John Hilton Edwards was born in London in 1928. The son of a surgeon, he attended Uppingham School before studying the Natural Sciences Tripos at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, graduating in 1949. His clinical training at Middlesex Hospital (M.B., B.Ch. Cantab. 1952) was followed by National Service in the Artists' Rifles, part of the territorial SAS. After completing this Edwards worked for nine months as a ship's doctor on a scientific research ship, the 'John Biscoe', for the Falkland Islands' Dependencies Survey. He then took a number of junior hospital posts in London and the south of England, gaining experience in general medicine, neurology, pathology and psychiatry.

In 1956 Edwards took up an appointment at the University of Birmingham as Lecturer in the Department of Social Medicine, with the Institute of Child Health. He remained attached to the University of Birmingham until 1979, being made Professor of Human Genetics in 1968 and head of a new department of clinical genetics in 1969. During this 23 year association he also worked for periods at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit on Population Genetics in Oxford, 1958-1960; the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA, 1960-1961; and the New York Blood Center and Cornell Medical College, USA, 1967-1968. At the MRC Unit in Oxford, headed by A. C. Stevenson, Edwards rapidly acquired knowledge of chromosomes from the genetic pioneer Charles Ford. While treating cases during monthly visits to the Children's Hospital in Birmingham, he identified a possible chromosome 18 abnormality in newborn babies. This rare disorder was 'Trisomy 18' which subsequently became known as Edwards syndrome. During his sabbatical the Children's Hospital, Philadelphia, Edwards attended the now celebrated genetics course at Bar Harbor, Maine.

During his years at Birmingham Edwards made extensive contributions in many areas, including the early technology of clinical chromosomology; studies of the gene pool in Iceland, as consultant investigator to the Genetical Committee of Iceland; and gene-mapping workshops from 1973 and which continued until 1991. From 1975 to 1979 he was part-time director of the West Midlands Regional Cytogenetics Laboratory and a consultant to the Oxford Health Authority.

In 1979 Edwards was appointed Professor of Genetics at Oxford University, holding the post until his retirement in 1995. His work there on comparative mapping of man and mouse led to the development of the 'Oxford Grid', a valuable research tool for mapping and comparing homologous gene sequences in different species. The work involved collaboration with laboratories in Australia and the USA.

Edwards was appointed consultant in human genetics to the World Health Authority in 1972, and, during the same year, was Visiting Professor of Human Genetics, Memorial University of Newfoundland. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1973 and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1979. At Oxford he was made a Fellow of Keble College. His publications included Human Genetics, 1978; 'The Oxford Grid', Annals of Human Genetics, 1991; and Genetic Mapping of Human Genes, co-editor, 1997.

Edwards married Felicity Toussaint in 1953 and the couple had four children. Edwards died in October 2007.

Some files are closed for 100 years from their creation under the terms of Data Protection regulations because they contain information about the medical treatment, or employment, of individuals. Closed files are indicated as such in the catalogue. Closure dates relating to the collection were imposed by the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, University of Cardiff, 2011 as part of the cataloguing process.

Deposited with the Cadbury Research Library, Special Collections at the University of Birmingham by Dr Felicity Edwards in 2011

Please see https://calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=XUS99&pos=2/

Description prepared by Simon Coleman and Timothy E. Powell at the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, University of Cardiff, 2011. The work in compiling this catalogue was made possible through a grant from the Wellcome Trust Research Resources in Medical History Programme. The project was hosted by Cardiff University's Special Collections and Archives and headed by Peter Keelan. Closure dates relating to the collection were imposed by the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, University of Cardiff, 2011 as part of the cataloguing process.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Material was sent to the Genetics Archives Project at Cardiff University for cataloguing in 2010. One box of material, US99/E/2/7A, was deposited separately and has been inserted into the existing catalogue structure.

The Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections also holds the archives of the University of Birmingham and archives of other former staff, officials and students