ENGINEERING PROFESSOR

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29102, 14 January 1960, Page 6

ENGINEERING PROFESSOR

Appointment At Birmingham

Mr John Tasman Davies, formerly of Christchurch, who has been a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Cambridge University, has been appointed to the chair of chemical engineering at Birmingham University. He was the first Lord Rutherford Memorial Fellow.

Word of the appointment has just been received by his mother. Mrs H. T. Davies, of Konini street, Riccarton. Mr Davies began his education at the Fendalton School and went on to the Christchurch Boys’ High School, where he was dux in 1941, topping the University Junior Scholarship in that year. He took his B.Sc. course at Canterbury University in 1942-44, taking 10 units instead of the required eight. He was top of the lists in chemistry throughout the course and at the top or near it in other subjects. In his second year he won the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry prize. In his third year he won senior scholarships in chemistry and mathematics, the Haydon Prize in chemistry, the Charles Cook Warwick House Memorial Scholarship and the Shirtcliffe graduate bursary, and was equal first for the Sir George Grey Scholarship. In 1945, his honours year, he topped the first-class honours list and was awarded the Shirtcliffe Fellowship and the university postgraduate scholarship in science. In 1946, he was elected first Lord Rutherford Memorial Research Fellow.

In June, 1946, he went to London to do special work under Professor E. K. Rideal, director of the Royal Institution. In November, 1547, he attended an atomic congress held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of Lord Rutherford. While he was working for his London doctorate he was brought into close touch with cancer research and collaborated with Dr. Daniell in a contribution to an American work, “Advances In Enzymology.” He went to Stamford University, California, on a scholarship in 1949, and in 1950 he was awarded the Beit Scholarship.