Dr. William Drysdale was born in Pakenham, Ontario, in 1867. He took his medical education at McGill University and following his graduation in 1894, interned for one year at Montreal General Hospital. Drysdale moved to Nanaimo in 1897 and this city served as the centre of his practice for forty-six years. Prior to establishing his own practice, he worked for the New Vancouver Coal Company as an assistant to Dr. R.E. McKechnie. Over the course of his medical career Dr. Drysdale served as City Medical Health Officer and Government Physician to the native community. He was active in local and provincial medical associations. The B.C. Medical Association awarded Drysdale the Jubilee Medal and he was later appointed a Senior Member of the Canadian Medical Association. Dr. Drysdale died in 1943.