SCIENCE CONGRESS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 25 January 1939, Page 2

SCIENCE CONGRESS

DR. P. MARSHALL NEXT PRESIDENT The honour conferred on the eminent New Zealand geologist, Dr. Patrick Marshall. Lower Hutt, at the recent congress of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science, in Canberra, may be regarded as a reward for years of work in the cause of science. Unanimously elected president of the next congress, to be held in Adelaide, Dr. Marshall has been a member of the association since 1891—it was formed in 1888—and has probably attended more congresses than any other New Zealander. He has attended eight times.

Dr. Marshall came to New Zealand with his parents as a small boy. His father, who was an Anglican clergyman. was a brilliant scholar and a double Cmbridge blue (cricket and rackets). When Dr. Marshall was 10 years old, however, his father died. His mother brought up the family of five boys with such wise devotion that every one of them made his mark. After graduating in science in the University of Otago. Dunedin, after three years of earlier university work in Canterbury University College. Christchurch. Dr. Marshall became a lecturer at Lincoln Agricultural College. Canterbury. Later he became a master at Auckland Grammar School, from where he went to a position as professor of geology at Otago University a post he held for 15 years. Dr. Marshall resigned the chair of geology to resume his favourite work by accepting the headmastership of the Wanganui Collegiate School. He held this position till his letirement some years ago.

Since his retirement he has been consultant geologist for the Main Highways and Public Works Departments He is also the author of two standard works widely used as textbooks. ‘The Geology of New Zealand.” and “The Geography of New Zealand.”