Basil Stuart Hetzel AC (1922 - 2017)

Born 13 Jun 1922 in Fulham, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Helen Mary (Eyles) Hetzel — married 3 Dec 1946 (to 30 Dec 1980) in St Peters, South Australia, Australia

Died 4 Feb 2017 at age 94 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Russell Butler [send private message] and Australia Project WikiTree [send private message]

Basil Hetzel AC is managed by the Australia Project. Join: Australia Project Discuss: australia

Biography

Basil Hetzel AC is Notable.

Basil Hetzel AC was a medical researcher.

Dr Basil Hetzel AC was an Australian medical researcher who made a significant contribution to public health worldwide through his research which identified the link between iodine deficiency and brain development. His work has prevented millions of children from being born with brain damage.^[1]

Early Life

He was born in 1922 and is the eldest of two sons of Kenneth Hetzel, an anaesthetist, and Elinor Watt, both South Australians, Hetzel was born in England while his father was working at the University College Hospital in London. The family, including a younger brother, Peter, returned to South Australia in 1925.^[2][3]

Education & Career

Hetzel grew up in Adelaide, South Australia, where he was educated at Kings College and St Peter's College. He graduated in medicine from the University of Adelaide with distinction in 1944. After postgraduate education and research in Adelaide (1945-51); New York (Fulbright Research Scholar (1951-54); and London (1954-55), he returned to the University of Adelaide as Reader and later became the first Michell Professor of Medicine at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (1956-68).^[4]

At that time it had been established that iodine deficiency could lead to goitre and if more severe, to retarded growth and development, particularly brain development, in a condition known as congenital iodine deficiency syndrome, or cretinism. Hetzel's group developed an intervention strategy using iodised oil injections for the correction of severe iodine deficiency and was the first to show that disorders of brain development in the setting of iodine deficiency could be prevented by this approach. Global prevention of this problem became his life’s work, leading to salt iodisation programs in about 130 countries and prevented millions of children from being born with brain damage.^[1][5]

The elimination of iodine deficiency is associated with benefits on a remarkable scale: indeed a major contribution to social and economic development. This message needs to be much better known to promote the political will of people and governments throughout the world. Basil S. Hetzel (1922-2017)

Hetzel continued his work in Melbourne, as the first Chair of Social and Preventative Medicine at Monash University, and by 1970 his team demonstrated that correction of iodine deficiency before pregnancy totally prevented endemic cretinism and related conditions. From 1986, as The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO) first Chief of the Division of Human Nutrition, he showed that iodine deficiency caused retardation of brain development in sheep and in marmoset monkeys.^[4][6]

In 1986, Hetzel initiated and then became Executive Director of the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) which is now a global multidisciplinary group of 700 scientists, medical administrators and public health workers from more than 100 countries.^[4]

Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) is now recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the most common preventable cause of brain damage in the world with more than 2 billion people at risk in 130 countries.^[6] The iodization of salt has reduced the number of iodine deficient countries from 110 in 1993 to only 19 in 2017.^[7]

From 1992 to 1998 Hetzel was appointed Chancellor of the newly formed University of South Australia,^[1] and Lieutenant Governor of South Australia from 1992-2000.^[4] In 2001, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital established The Basil Hetzel Institute for Medical Research in his honour. In 2005 the Health Sciences building at the City East campus of the University of South Australia was named the Basil Hetzel Building.^[1]

In 1990 Hetzel was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia,^[8] and the Centenary Medal in 2001.^[9] The National Trust named Hetzel as one of Australia’s National Living Treasures in 2004, and in 2015 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Adelaide.^[6][10]

Publications

Hetzel has an extensive list of over 200 scientific publications and has authored or edited 19 books including “Health and Australian Society” which has sold more than 40,000 copies. He was also author of “The Story of Iodine Deficiency – A Challenge in International Nutrition” which has been translated into French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Russian.^[5]

Videos

Sansom Institute Seminar by Dr Basil Hetzel, 11 July 2012

Three Generations of Inspiration at Monash Public Health, 2014

Marriage & Family

Hetzel married Helen Eyles in St Peters College Chapel on 3rd December 1946.^[11] They had five children, three sons and two daughters, before Helen died from cancer in 1980. In 1983 Hetzel married again, to Anne Fisher.^[3]

Death

Hetzel died on 4 February 2017. He was honoured with a State Memorial Service at the Bonython Hall, University of Adelaide on 27 February 2017.^[4] His remains were cremated at Centennial Park, Pasadena.^[12]

Honours & Awards

For his work on iodine deficiency and its eradication Basil Hetzel has received a number of awards and honours, including:^[4]

Fellowships

2006 - Emeritus Professor, University of Adelaide

2005 - Naming of Health Sciences Building, University of South Australia

1999 - Knight of St John Hospitallers

1998 - Honorary Doctorate, University of South Australia

1997 - Life Member, Australasian Epidemiological Association

1994 - Edward Stirling Lecture, University of Adelaide

1993 - Honorary Member, International Epidemiological Association

1991 - Fellow Nutrition Society of Australia

1990 - Companion of the Order of Australia

1989 - Honorary Professor, Tianjin Medical University, People’s Republic of China

1989 - Gorden Lecture, Public Health Association of Australia, Melbourne

1987 - Life Member, Public Health Association of Australia

1981 - Fellow Academy of Technological Science & Engineering

1980 - Fellow of Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Colleges of Physicians, UK

1980 - President 8th International Thyroid Congress, Sydney

1972 - Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of London

1964-66 - President of the Endocrine Society of Australia

1958 - Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Physicians

Awards

2009 - Pollin Pediatric Research Prize in recognition of his discovery that maternal iodine deficiency can cause brain damage in newborns, and for orchestrating an effective global campaign in support of salt iodization programs aimed at eradicating iodine deficiency disorders

2007 - Prince Mahidol Award, presented by the King of Thailand for contribution to international public health through research demonstrating the effect of iodine deficiency on brain development and the initiative of promoting international action through the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders

2004 - Living National Treasure Award, National Trust, New South Wales

2004 - Kazue McLaren Leadership Award, Asia Pacific Academic Consortium in Public Health

2001 - Federation Centenary Medal

2000 - Senior South Australian Achiever Award

2000 - Award for Distinguished Research Achievement, International Association for Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability

1997 - RSL Anzac Peace Prize, Australia

1995 - Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Adelaide

1994 - Hixson Award, Kiwanis International Service Club

1993 - Alwyn Smith Prize, Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Colleges of Physicians, United Kingdom

1985 - Malinckrodt Prize Lecture, 9th International Thyroid Congress, Sao Paulo, Brazil

1964 - Susman Prize for Medical Research awarded by Royal Australasian College of Physicians

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} University of South Australia. Basil Hetzel Collection. (University of South Australia, https://guides.library.unisa.edu.au/specialandarchivalcollections/hetzel : accessed 25 Jan 2021) archived at Wayback Machine.
2. ↑ England & Wales Births 1837-2006 (FindMyPast, http://www.findmypast.com : accessed 15 December 2020) database entry for Hetzel, Basil B (Mother's maiden name: Watt, GRO Reference: Q3 in 1922, District: Fulham, Volume: 1A, Page: 422).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Wikipedia contributors, "Basil Hetzel," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Basil_Hetzel&oldid=995452827 (accessed January 25, 2021).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Ward, Colin. Basil Stuart Hetzel (1922-2017). (CSIROpedia, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/hetzel-basil-stuart/ : accessed 25 Jan 2021)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Govan, Alexandra. University of Adelaide Blog. Paying Tribute to Dr Basil Hetzel AC (1922-2017). 6 Feb 2017. (University of Adelaide, https://blogs.adelaide.edu.au/alumni/2017/02/06/paying-tribute-to-dr-basil-hetzel-ac-1922-2017/ : accessed 25 Jan 2021) archived at Wayback Machine.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Sanchez, Genevieve. Lumen. Honorary doctorate goes to iodine crusader. Summer 2016. (University of Adelaide, https://www.adelaide.edu.au/lumen/issues/81682/news81803.html : accessed 25 Jan 2021) archived at Wayback Machine.
7. ↑ Iodine Global Network. Why should we eliminate iodine deficiency? (Iodine Global Network, https://www.ign.org/p142002905.html : accessed 26 Jan 2021) archived at Wayback Machine.
8. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/883280 : accessed 26 Jan 2021) Companion of the Order of Australia award granted to Dr Basil Stuart Hetzel, 11 Jun 1990.
9. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1127071 : accessed 26 Jan 2021) Centenary Medal granted to Dr Basil Stuart Hetzel, 1 Jan 2001.
10. ↑ Basil Hetzel Institute for Medical Research. History. (Basil Hetzel Institute for Medical Research, https://www.basilhetzelinstitute.com.au/about/history/ : accessed 25 Jan 2021) archived at Wayback Machine.
11. ↑ News, Adelaide, SA, 3 December 1946, page 7, column 6, Hetzel - Eyles Wedding Today. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 26 January 2021)
12. ↑ Cremation Record (Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, https://www.centennialpark.org/memorial-search/ : accessed 25 Jan 2021) database entry for Hetzel, Basil Stuart (Cremation Date: 10 Feb 2017, Last Abode: North Adelaide).

See also:

• Wikipedia: Dr. Basil Hetzel
• Wikidata: Item Q15504776, en:Wikipedia