Donald Court

Seymour Donald Mayneord Court (born 4 January 1912 in Wem, died 9 September 1994 in Newcastle upon Tyne) was a British paediatrician who was known for his achievements in the fields of respiratory disease and the epidemiology of disease in childhood. He was also known for working, in a primary role, that established the importance of research into the social and behavioural aspects of illness in childhood.

Life Donald Court was the son of David Henry Court, a schoolmaster, and his wife Ethel Fanny (née Mayneord).

Court was awarded a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1969. In 1978 was awarded the prestigious James Spence Medal of the BPA, named in honour of his old colleague, James Calvert Spence. Professor Otto Wolff, spoke of the citation when awarding the medal to court, Wolff stated:

James Spence would have approved of our medallist. For many years, they worked together in Newcastle until 1954 when Spence died, and a year later Donald succeeded him, as head of the department, with the title of James Spence Professor of Child Health... Like James Spence, Donald is a superb clinician and a master of delicate art of taking a history.

Court was awarded the prestigious Nils Rosén von Rosenstein medal of the Swedish Paediatric Association. A number of honorary fellowships followed over the years, including the Royal Society of Medicine, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, celebrating a very active life.