Gordon Jackson Rees

Gordon Jackson Rees (8 December 1918 – 19 January 2001) was a British anesthesiologist, recognized as a pioneer in pediatric anesthesia.

Early life and education Gordon Jackson Rees was born at Oswestry, Shropshire, the younger son of Thomas Archibald Rees and Ethel Jackson Rees. His father was a marine engineer in the Royal Naval Reserve. He studied medicine at the University of Liverpool. During World War II Rees served in the medical branch of the Royal Air Force, and was stationed in Freetown, Sierra Leone from 1943 to 1945. After the war, he pursued further study in anesthetics, earning his diploma in 1946. and proceeded to consider that problem for the rest of his career. Rees introduced several practices now standard in managing anesthesia in young patients, including premedication, endotracheal intubation, and muscle relaxants.

Rees' work was recognized with a Joseph Clover Medal and a Frederick Hewitt Medal, both from the Royal College of Surgeons of England; he also received the John Snow Medal from the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain, and the Robert M. Smith Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was a fellow of many professional organizations, and served a term (1976-1979) as president of the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland; in 1986 he was appointed first president of the Federation of European Associations of Paediatric Anaesthesia.

Personal life Gordon Jackson Rees married Betty Schofield in January 1943, while both were in medical school. They had four children. The astronomer Martin Rees is Gordon Jackson Rees' nephew. A piece of equipment known as the Jackson-Rees breathing circuit is still sold by medical supply companies.

A note about his name Gordon Jackson Rees was called "Jack" by friends and colleagues,