W.S.C Copeman, FRCP

This section comprises Copeman's own professional papers, papers he collected in the course of his research and personal papers which include his membership certificates of medical bodies and his biography and obituary.

1684-1976

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William Sydney Charles Copeman was born in 1900 and died in 1970. He was educated at Lancing College and at Gonville and Caius College Cambridge, and had a distinguished career as a rheumatologist. As well as holding many influential medical posts and professional and civic awards he also served in both world wars, in the Coldstream Guards in WWI and in RAMC in WW2.

He was a key player in the development of the Heberden Society and its Library, as wellas the Empire Rheumatism Council, and he had a professional passion for the history of medicine and from learning from the past. He firmly believed that the history of medicine should be taught as part of medical degrees and he collected many historical texts and memorabilia relating to gout and rheumatic diseases.

He was Assistant Etranger in the Faculty of Medicine of Paris prior to 1925, Medical Registrar at West London Hospital by December 1926, Medical Registrar at St Mary's Hospital, London in 1928 and by 1933 held the posts of Physician at the British Red Cross Clinic for Rheumatism; Assistant Physician Children's Department of the West London Hospital; and Assistant Physician at the Hospital of St John and Elizabeth.