Leslie Housden

English athlete and child welfare specialist

Leslie Housden

Personal information

Nationality| British
Born| (1894-10-30)30 October 1894
Bromley, Kent, England
Died| 19 December 1963(1963-12-19) (aged 69)
Basingstoke, England
Sport
Sport| Long-distance running
Event| Marathon

Dr. Leslie George Housden OBE (30 October 1894 - 19 December 1963) was an English medical doctor who specialised in child welfare, he also represented the United Kingdom in the Men's marathon at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Antwerp.[1][2]

## Early life[edit]

Housden was born in 1894 in Bromley, Kent and was educated at The King's School, Canterbury from 1908 to 1911.[3] He qualified as a doctor at Guy's Hospital.[4] At the 1920 Summer Olympics Housden came 31st in the Men's marathon at a time of 3'14:25.0, 40 minutes behind the winner.[4] [5] [6]

## Medical[edit]

Housden was an honorary medical advisor to the Save the Children Fund and from 1948 to 1955 was an advisor to the Ministry of Health on parentcraft.[1][7] In 1944 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to child welfare.[8]

## Family[edit]

Housden had married Esther Boyt in 1926 and they had four children, a daughter Biddy died aged 16 on 9 August 1944.[9]

## Books[edit]

* The Breast-Fed Baby in General Practice - 1932
* The Art of Mothercraft - 1939
* Healthy, happy children - 1944
* Home-Life and Community
* Handbook of Parentcraft - 1948
* The Prevention of Cruelty to Children - 1955

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Obituaries". Obituaries. The Times. No. 55891\. London. 23 December 1963. col G, p. 13.
2. ^ "Leslie Housden". Olympedia. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
3. ^ King's Sporting Hall of Fame
4. ^ a b Sport Reference - Leslie Housden
5. ^ "King's and the Olympics | The King's School Archives". Retrieved 30 June 2020.
6. ^ "Leslie HOUSDEN - Olympic Athletics | Great Britain". International Olympic Committee. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
7. ^ "Advisor on Parentcraft". News in Brief. The Times. No. 51062\. London. 4 May 1948. col B, p. 3.
8. ^ "No. 37412". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 January 1946. p. 280.
9. ^ "Housden". Deaths. The Times. No. 49932\. London. 11 August 1944. col A, p. 1.