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James Birley

1928 – 2013

British psychiatrist

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About James Birley

Lived 1928 – 2013 (aged 85). James Birley was a British psychiatrist.

James Leatham Tennant Birley (31 May 1928 – 6 October 2013) of the Maudsley Hospital, London, was a psychiatrist and president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists from 1987 to 1990.

Early life After education at Winchester College, Birley studied medicine at University College, Oxford and St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, London. He qualified in 1952 BM BCh and then from 1952 to 1954 held junior appointments. From 1954 to 1956 he was a junior specialist in the RAMC. In 1957 he was a demonstrator in pathology at St Thomas's Hospital, Birley was from 1958 to 1959 a medical registrar at North Middlesex Hospital and from 1959 to 1960 a psychiatry/neurology registrar at St Thomas's Hospital. At the Maudsley Hospital he joined the staff in 1960, and became a consultant in 1968,

In the latter part of his career, Birley was involved with psychiatric reforms in the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc. He represented the Royal College of Psychiatrists at the World Psychiatric Association meeting in 1989, when the Soviet Union was readmitted under strict conditions.

Upon his death in 2013 Birley was survived by his widow, four children, and ten grandchildren. His father was the neurologist James Leatham Birley (1884–1934).

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
University College, Oxford
Positions held
President of the British Medical Association
Awards
Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists; Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Also known as
James Leatham Tennant "Jim" Birley

People in James Birley's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Birley's

Frequently asked questions

Who was James Birley?

British psychiatrist

When was James Birley born?

James Birley was born on 31 May 1928 in London.

When did James Birley die?

James Birley died on 6 October 2013.

What was James Birley's occupation?

James Birley was a psychiatrist.

What nationality was James Birley?

James Birley was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Birley

· Wikidata: Q21597785

· DBpedia: James Leatham Tennant Birley

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Birley. https://biography.guide/james-birley/

MLA: "James Birley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-birley/.

Chicago: "James Birley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-birley/.

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