Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1940 / Papworth Village Settlement.

  • Papworth Village Settlement (Cambridge, England)
Date:
1940
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1940 / Papworth Village Settlement. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/28 (page 15)
    ANY review of 1940 is inevitably over. shadowed by the sudden death, on 30th January 1941, of Sir Pendrill Varrier-Jones. Referring to this grievous loss at the 1941 Annual Meeting, Lord Willingdon, Chairman of Papworth, who presided, said : “ No single blow could have been “heavier, or more hard to bear, than the “death of the man whose brain conceived “and whose ability developed the now “world famous work of Papworth. In Sir “Pendrill there were united an unusual “combination of qualities: the art of the “physician,the skill of the captain of indus¬ try, the sixth sense which is the hallmark “ofgenius. Papworth was his creation; for “without him, without his unswerving “devotion and unfailing energy, Papworth “could not have existed in the form we “know it to-day.” Lord Willingdon then referred to the telegrams of sympathy sent by Their Majesties and the Duke of Kent. These telegrams were circulated, in the form of a reprint from “ The Times ” some months ago, but it is nevertheless well to recall here the inspiring words used by Their Majesties : “ The continuance and development of of his great work will be his proud and lasting memorial.” Formerly Governor-General of Canada, and. later Viceroy of India, Lord Willingdon brought to Papworth the manifold gifts of an exceptionally charming and distinguished personality when he became Chairman in 1934 REVIEW OF THE YEAH On this point Lord Willingdon made some very interesting observations : “ There may be those,” he said, “ who “will wonder how Papworth will continue “now that the guiding hand of Sir Pendrill “has been removed. Well, I carv reasssure “any who may feel anxiety on that subject. “For many years it had been Sir Pendrill’s “habit to encourage others to share res¬ ponsibility. He did not seek to retain all “power in his own hands. Instead, he “insisted that those in'lsharge of the various “departments should make their own “decisions so far as possible. It was not “easy to carry decentralisation thus far. “Time and time again he would feel dis¬ posed to intervene in order to prevent “a mistake from being made. But he would “refrain, because, as he said, ‘ If I do these “peoples ’ work, if I constantly overrule “them, they will never learn. They must “make mistakes, and learn by trial and “error. Then Papworth can grow, tecause “there will be many capable of taking “decisions, and not one man alone.’ “That was his policy; and it is not too “much’to say that just as his policy in other directions made Papworth, so his policy [15]