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Ernest Leslie Morgan Millar, CBE MSc MD DPH FFCM
Public Health (1995), 109,217-218
OI995TheSocietyofPublicHealth.AIIrightsreservedOO33-3506/9551ZO0
Obituary Ernest Leslie Morgan Millar, CBE MSc MD DPH FFCM Leslie Millar, who was Medical Officer of Health and Principal School Medical Officer for the City of Birmingham between 1961 and 1974 (having been previously Deputy M O H from 1950), died on 3 January 1995 aged 82 years. He was born and educated in Sheffield, graduating MSc in 1933 and MBChB in 1936. His career in Public Health began in 1938-39 when he undertook the Diploma in Public Health Course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and afterwards he was appointed to an Assistant Medical Officer post at Derby. In 1941 he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, returning after the war to be appointed Deputy MOH in Sheffield during 1948-50. For the next 25 years Leslie gave of his best for the City of Birmingham, succeeding Matthew Burn as MOH in 1961. Leslie was a cheerful, robust man who radiated good health. Under his direction the City Health Department provided a comprehensive service for well over a million people, and which included School Health after the retirement of Dr Cohen and also Veterinary Services as part of Environmental Health. After he retired he watched the devolution of the Health Department into five Districts and its separation from the City Environmental Health, Education and Social Services. However, he lived long enough for a unified City Health Authority to be under active consideration once more. NEVILLE GARRATT
Dr Huw Francis adds the following comments: Those who knew Leslie Millar will recall most vividly his transparent integrity and genuine modesty: few who have held distinguished offices in public health had less 'side'. Several of his senior colleagues were national figures in their professions; that those varied personalities worked together fruitfully in the interest of the City owed much to his warmth and good judgement. Leslie Millar began his medical career in bacteriology and his great interest remained environmental health. He once spoke to me of the pleasure it gave him to drive along the Bristol Road, seeing new housing where slums had stood before. Birmingham had a hideous legacy of large areas of bad housing from the early Industrial Revolution and he led the team which rid the City of that problem. It was notable with what guarded respect he was treated by lawyers who had previously cross-examined him at public enquiries on slum clearance. Those who misread his almost naive manner were usually surprised by how devastating he could be in reply. A young solicitor from a fashionable West End firm once unwisely suggested to him that he did not know what 'instability' was. 'Well in Birmingham we all know', said Leslie, 'but in London i don~t suppose you think a house unstable unless its constituent parts are in rapid motion through the air'. It was the only occasion on which I have known a public enquiry wholly convulsed in laughter. Leslie was one of three distinguished South Yorkshiremen who were members of Sir Wilson Jameson's last DPH class at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They were Robert Wofinden of Rotherham, later Professor and MOH
Obituary 218 Bristol; Ronald Elliot of Mexborough, later CMO West Riding of Yorkshire; Leslie himself who was from Sheffield. English Public Health was fortunate in difficult years 1948-74 that it was served by people of this calibre. Leslie's 'patient continuance in well-doing' was sustained by his Christian faith by a happy home life. He is survived by his wife and two sons, one of whom consultant radiologist.
and the and is a
OI995TheSocietyofPublicHealth.AIIrightsreservedOO33-3506/9551ZO0
Obituary Ernest Leslie Morgan Millar, CBE MSc MD DPH FFCM Leslie Millar, who was Medical Officer of Health and Principal School Medical Officer for the City of Birmingham between 1961 and 1974 (having been previously Deputy M O H from 1950), died on 3 January 1995 aged 82 years. He was born and educated in Sheffield, graduating MSc in 1933 and MBChB in 1936. His career in Public Health began in 1938-39 when he undertook the Diploma in Public Health Course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and afterwards he was appointed to an Assistant Medical Officer post at Derby. In 1941 he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, returning after the war to be appointed Deputy MOH in Sheffield during 1948-50. For the next 25 years Leslie gave of his best for the City of Birmingham, succeeding Matthew Burn as MOH in 1961. Leslie was a cheerful, robust man who radiated good health. Under his direction the City Health Department provided a comprehensive service for well over a million people, and which included School Health after the retirement of Dr Cohen and also Veterinary Services as part of Environmental Health. After he retired he watched the devolution of the Health Department into five Districts and its separation from the City Environmental Health, Education and Social Services. However, he lived long enough for a unified City Health Authority to be under active consideration once more. NEVILLE GARRATT
Dr Huw Francis adds the following comments: Those who knew Leslie Millar will recall most vividly his transparent integrity and genuine modesty: few who have held distinguished offices in public health had less 'side'. Several of his senior colleagues were national figures in their professions; that those varied personalities worked together fruitfully in the interest of the City owed much to his warmth and good judgement. Leslie Millar began his medical career in bacteriology and his great interest remained environmental health. He once spoke to me of the pleasure it gave him to drive along the Bristol Road, seeing new housing where slums had stood before. Birmingham had a hideous legacy of large areas of bad housing from the early Industrial Revolution and he led the team which rid the City of that problem. It was notable with what guarded respect he was treated by lawyers who had previously cross-examined him at public enquiries on slum clearance. Those who misread his almost naive manner were usually surprised by how devastating he could be in reply. A young solicitor from a fashionable West End firm once unwisely suggested to him that he did not know what 'instability' was. 'Well in Birmingham we all know', said Leslie, 'but in London i don~t suppose you think a house unstable unless its constituent parts are in rapid motion through the air'. It was the only occasion on which I have known a public enquiry wholly convulsed in laughter. Leslie was one of three distinguished South Yorkshiremen who were members of Sir Wilson Jameson's last DPH class at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They were Robert Wofinden of Rotherham, later Professor and MOH
Obituary 218 Bristol; Ronald Elliot of Mexborough, later CMO West Riding of Yorkshire; Leslie himself who was from Sheffield. English Public Health was fortunate in difficult years 1948-74 that it was served by people of this calibre. Leslie's 'patient continuance in well-doing' was sustained by his Christian faith by a happy home life. He is survived by his wife and two sons, one of whom consultant radiologist.
and the and is a