Jack Howell, the Foundation Professor of Medicine at the University of Southampton, died on 1 January 2015 after a short illness, at the age of 88.
‘Whispering Jack’, as he was so affectionately known to his students and colleagues, came to Southampton to help establish the new medical school, with the first students being enrolled in October 1971. Not only was Jack innovative in medical education, but he also helped established a strong research culture in the School of Medicine at Southampton with an emphasis on translation for patient benefit.
It was asthma that fuelled Jack’s research interest. He attracted Graham Stirling, Richard Godfrey, Anne Tattersfield and Stephen Holgate to Southampton to the build one of the leading pulmonary research groups in Europe, a position that still pertains and of which he was immensely proud. In recognition of his major contribution to respiratory research in Southampton, the Clinical and Experimental Sciences Academic Unit of the Faculty of Medicine has named a 4th Year Study in Depth prize in his honour.
Among his many achievements, he was Dean of Medicine at Southampton from 1978-83.
Jack Howell is survived by his wife Heather, who stood by him with extraordinary commitment, loyalty and quiet dignity throughout his life, his daughter Gillian, and two sons Peter and David.