Sir Oliver Scott: archives (1922-2016)

'The following is an interim description that may change once detailed cataloguing takes place in the future:

Acc 2501: Papers relating to Oliver Scott's research and work in radiology and cancer treatment, including correspondence with colleagues, reprints of papers, manuscripts, laboratory journals and research, and related papers from across his career. Also includes 2 audio tapes labelled "Show Klaus L H Grey audio tapes".

c.1940s-2000s

9 boxes 2 audio tapes

Sir Oliver Scott (1922-2016) developed new concepts in cancer treatment particularly tumour radiobiology. He was best known for his research on the oxygen effect in radiotherapy, offering a successful therapy widely used in oncology treatment for decades. Scott also did important work around the use of animal experiments in cancer treatment, and the impact of inbreeding on radiobiological experiments using transplanted mouse tumours. This work on the therapeutic effect of radiation on live mouse tumours is nowadays the most frequently employed method in translational radiotherapy research.

Scott negotiated with the Medical Research Council and others to establish the British Empire Cancer Campaign Research Unit at Mount Vernon hospital, Northwood, west London. After Gray’s death in 1965, Oliver followed as director, and the Gray Laboratory, as the research unit is now known, became the leading research centre in experimental radiotherapy.

At the height of the Cold War, Scott visited the Soviet Union to represent the interests of a research colleague and supported the Pugwash conferences led by his friend and colleague Joseph Rotblat. He was president of the Oncology section of the Royal Society of Medicine (1987-88) and became an honorary fellow of the British Institute of Radiology in 1999.

A full obituary was written by Oliver Westall for The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2016/dec/29/sir-oliver-scott-obituary

Transferred to Wellcome.

This collection is currently uncatalogued and cannot be ordered online. Requests to view uncatalogued material are considered on a case by case basis. Please contact collections@wellcomecollection.org for more details.

Material from this collection is still held by a friend of Oliver Scott's; discussions are ongoing to acquire this material and add it to the collection (Jan 2020).

Donated by the family of Sir Oliver Scott, following the recommendation of a close family friend and colleague.