Dr. George Harold Stanfield Ramsey, Canadian Field Artillery, World War I

George Harold Stanfield Ramsey was born on December 19, 1893, in Toronto, Canada, to William James and Mary Edith (Stanfield) Ramsey. He was one of three children born to the couple. In 1913, Ramsey began studying medicine at the University of Toronto but left in his second year to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

According to his attestation document, Ramsey enlisted on March 29, 1915, in the 26th Field Battery, 7th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery (CFA) with the rank of Gunner. Ramsey received basic and specialized training in Canada, and England, and was then transferred to the 23rd Howitzer Battery, 5th Brigade, CFA. On March 16, 1916, Ramsey embarked for France. He served in combat at Messines; St. Eloi; Ypres; and Kemmel before being struck in the left cheek by a bullet that exited the right side of his jaw during the Battle of the Somme near Pozières, France, on October 6, 1916. After spending several months in military hospitals, Ramsey was discharged on July 29, 1917. Ramsey returned to his parents' home in Toronto to recuperate before enlisting again on November 14, 1918. However, his second enlistment was not to last, and he was discharged two days later on the grounds that his services were no longer needed.

After his second enlistment, Ramsey spent several months working as a logger in the Canadian North Woods before beginning a career in commerce. In 1926, Ramsey returned to the study of Medicine at McGill University. He finished medical school in 1928 and was awarded a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery (MDCM) degree after completing an internship at Toronto Western Hospital in 1930. Ramsey then moved to New York to study Radiology with Dr. Stafford Leak Warren at the University of Rochester. While studying in the United States, Ramsey met and married a 25-year-old nurse named Catherine Brantley on September 9, 1932. The union produced three children: Mary Ellen, Catherine Ann, and William Brantley Ramsey.

In 1933, Ramsey moved his family back across the border to serve as a Radiologist in Stratford, Ontario, and then in Regina, Saskatchewan. In 1937, Dr. Warren asked Ramsey to return to the University of Rochester as an assistant Professor. Ramsey was promoted to Chief of the Division of Diagnostic Radiology in 1940, and he became a full Professor and Chairman of the Department of Radiology in 1948. During his time at Rochester University, Ramsey made major contributions to the development of pantopaque radiology and the creation of cinefluorographic equipment. After retiring in 1960, Ramsey worked as a consultant in the Medical Department at Eastman Kodak.

Ramsey passed away from a heart attack at Strong Memorial Hospital on April 30, 1965. He was survived by his wife, his three children, and one sister, Miss Eleda Ramsey. In recognition of his lifelong interest in teaching, his family established the Ramsey Memorial Fund to aid in the instruction of physicians interested in Radiology.