Eileen Crofton facts for kids

Lady Eileen Crofton was a British doctor and writer. She is well-known for her strong campaigns against smoking. She worked hard to teach people about the dangers of tobacco.

Early Life and Education

Eileen Crofton was born in Liverpool, England, on March 28, 1919. Her father was an electrical engineer. She went to North London Collegiate School and then to Somerville College at Oxford University. She finished her medical studies and became a doctor in 1943.

Her Career as a Doctor

In 1944, Dr. Crofton joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. She became a captain and was sent to work in County Down, Northern Ireland. After the war, from 1946 to 1949, she worked part-time at Brompton Hospital in London.

In 1952, her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. This was because her husband, John Crofton, became a professor at the University of Edinburgh. He taught about tuberculosis and other lung diseases.

Eileen Crofton continued her work in medicine. In 1962, she became a research assistant. She studied how diseases spread in groups of people. In 1963, she also became the medical officer for the British Red Cross Society in Midlothian.

Fighting Against Smoking

Eileen Crofton and her husband were very passionate about public health. In 1973, they helped create ASH Scotland. This is a charity that works to reduce smoking and its harm. Eileen Crofton became the first medical director of this important charity.

From 1975 to 1987, she also worked with the World Health Organization (WHO). She was part of a group of experts who advised on smoking issues worldwide. Her campaigns aimed to make rules stricter for tobacco companies. She also wanted to teach everyone about how harmful smoking can be. Dr. Crofton also pushed for smoking to be banned in public places.

For her great work in public health, Eileen Crofton received an award in 1984. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Even after she retired in 1984, Dr. Crofton kept working on her anti-smoking campaigns.

Her Book: Angels of Mercy

During her campaign work, Eileen Crofton went to a medical conference in France. It was held at Royaumont, an old abbey. There, she found a plaque that honored a Scottish women's hospital. This hospital had operated at the abbey during the First World War.

Dr. Crofton realized that not many people knew about this amazing hospital. She decided to research its history. She then wrote a book about it called Angels of Mercy: A Woman's Hospital on the Western Front 1914-1918. The book tells the story of the Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont.

Personal Life

Eileen Mercer met her husband, John Crofton, while she was working in County Down. They got married in 1945. They had five children together: three daughters and two sons.

Death and Legacy

Lady Eileen Crofton passed away on October 8, 2010.

Her work and her husband's work left a lasting impact. In 2009, an award was named after them. It is called the Crofton Award. The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland and ASH Scotland give this award. It goes to young people who work to reduce the harm caused by tobacco and smoking.