CAREER OF CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY’S BENEFACTOR

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29219, 1 June 1960, Page 17

CAREER OF CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY’S BENEFACTOR

Mr John Angus Erskine, who died in Melbourne in April and by his will bequeathed £200,000 to the University of Canterbury, was bom in Invercargill- He was 88 and unmarried.

Mr Erskine graduated in mathematics at Canterbury University College, as it formerly was, in 1894. He was first easily and got special commendation from the examiner. In 1895 he acted as locum tenens for three months for Professor Cook mathematics professor at Canterbury College, while the latter was on leave. Mr Erskine was a fellow student and close friend of Lord Rutherford at the university and a lecturer in mathematics considered he had the more mature mind of the two at that time.

In 1896 Mr Erskine was awarded an 1851 Exhibition Scholarship and he spent two years at German universities. While in Germany he had a work on electrical problems published. He then spent two years in London and to enable him to live there he got a publishing firm to give him work translating German science publications. He returned to New Zealand in 1901 and for a time was a boiler fireman in an engineering firm in Invercargill. He had decided to go to the United States while he was in London and went there after his visit home. In 1903 and 1904 he was in Schenectady, New York, on the staff of the General Electric Company. This company sent him to Broken Hill to install electrical plant in place of the steam plant then in use. The Sulphide Corporation at Broken Hill appointed him its chief engineer. He was at Broken Hill for 19 years and later went to the Melbourne office of the General Electric Company where he remained 10 years. From the time he first went to Broken Hill he took the interest in mining which he maintained for the rest of his life.

Mr Erskine had often discussed with Mr Geoffrey Hamilton, of Christchurch, a friend of many years, his intention to make a substantial bequest to the University of Canterbury. Mr Hamilton said yesterday he had not seen a copy of Mr Erskine’s will and so did not know the exact terms of the bequest, but in letters to him in recent years Mr Erskine had outlined what he proposed doing. “Though Mr Erskine was an engineer he had said he would specify in his will that the income from the trust should be spent on furthering the sciences but he would try to give the university great discretion in administering the moneys. "His main conception was that the moneys should be used to bring here men of note in their various fields from the United States, Canada and other countries, paying them enough in hard currencies to encourage them to lecture at the university for, say, two years,” Mr Hamilton said. “He also said that if any Canterbury University personnel showed marked ability In any particular subject he wanted money to be used to send them abroad to further their studies. Mr Erskine intended to make sure that no-one with a pet scheme would be able to use a large portion of the income for that scheme.”

Practically all the money was in Placer Development and it was important to the university that this hard currency should be kept intact. Mr Erskine was very keen that these investments should not be disturbed and was concerned that someone should give the university guidance on them, said Mr Hamilton. Mr Hamilton said he last saw Mr Erskine in 1957 in Melbourne. He said Mr Erskine won the New Zealand chess championship on different occasions. He was last here in 1954. “He was a man with a brilliant mind.” Mr Hamilton said.

Mr Erskine is survived by his sister, Miss M. C. Erskine, of Melbourne.