John C. Boileau Grant

John Charles Boileau Grant (1886–1973) was a British-Canadian anatomist, who was the Chair of Anatomy at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine from 1930 to 1956. Grant is best known for his textbook Grant's Atlas of Anatomy and Grant's Dissector which is now in its 17th edition and used by medical students all over the world.

Education Born in Loanhead (south of Edinburgh) in 1886, Grant studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and graduated with an M.B., Ch.B. degree in 1908. and was awarded the junior and senior medals in Practical Anatomy and the Mackenzie Bursary for dissecting. From 1909 to 1911 he worked as an anatomy demonstrator under Prof. Howden at the University of Durham. He was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1913.

Work In 1919, he worked briefly in anatomy at Newcastle University before moving to Canada after being appointed to the Chair of Anatomy at the University of Manitoba at the age of 33. In 1930, he was appointed to the Chair of Anatomy at the University of Toronto which he served for 26 years until his retirement in 1956. Grant was a very popular teacher, year on year his students voted his class in anatomy as the most popular in the faculty. After retirement he continued on as the Curator of the Anatomy Museum at the University of Toronto.

In 1961, he was appointed part-time to teach anatomy as a visiting professor of Anatomy to UCLA which he continued until 1970. At UCLA, he was so beloved by his students that they devoted an annual Freshman Christmas Party to him.

Honours The anatomy museum at the University of Toronto is named after him.

Death Grant died on August 14, 1973, at the age of 87.