Archief - Dr. Jan Snellen fonds

Dr. Jan Snellen (1925-2000), physician and researcher, was born in 1925 in the Netherlands, and obtained his medical degree from the University of Leiden in 1954. In 1966, he earned a doctorate in physiology from the University of Nijmegen, Holland. Following work in Holland and South Africa, he joined the medical school of Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1970. Over the years, he held joint appointments in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics. He retired from full-time work with the medical school in 1990 but continued on a part-time basis until 31 August, 1997.

Dr. Jan Snellen, a world-recognized authority in the area of human thermo dynamics, supervised one of the very few specialized total body calorimeters in the world. Following Dr. Snellen's retirement, the calorimeter, a cylindrical room with an adjustable inside temperature, was relocated to the Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine in North York, Ontario. Much of Dr. Snellen's research, which was supported by the Canadian Department of Defence, concentrated on the study of whole body heat exchange with the environment. Throughout his years at Memorial, Snellen became known as a teacher, friend, mentor and role model for many of Memorial's medical students and faculty.

Dr. Jan Snellen passed away on 26 July 2000 at St. Clare's Hospital in St. John's. He left to mourn: in Canada, his wife Lydia Snellen-de-Bruyn, daughter Anna, sons Jan Bart and Christian and grandchildren Fatima Joy, Marc, Robert and Sandy; in England, his sister Minnie with Piet v.d. Loon; in the Netherlands, his sister-in-law Nell Snellen and brother-in-law Gerrit Jan with Jopie de Bruyn.