CHANCELLOR’S DEATH

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1935, Page 7

CHANCELLOR’S DEATH

JOHN MACMILLAN BROWN

BRILLIANT SCHOLASTIC CAREER.

FOUNDATION PROFESSOR IN 1374.

RESEARCH WORK IN PACIFIC.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Professor John Macmillan Brown. M.A-, Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, died tp-day at the age of 88. He was for 20 years actively engaged on the professorial staff of Canterbury College. The University Senate adjourned its sittings to-day until Monday as a mark of respect to the late chancellor.

Born at Irvine, Scotland, in 1846, John Macmillan Brown received his education at Irvine Academy and Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities, where he took firstclass honours in mental philosophy. He distinguished himself at Balliol College, Oxford, and, after two years on a geological survey of Scotland, was appointed to Canterbury College on its foundation in 1874 as lecturer in Classics and English. Five years later, owing to the increase in the numbers of his students, he gave up Classics and added English History to English Literature. He was a member of a Royal Commission appointed in 1879 to investigate the state of higher education in New Zealand.

Made a fellow of the Senate of the University of New Zealand in 1879, Professor Brown resigned his chairs at Canterbury College in 1895 On account of ill-health. He was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Law at Glasgow University in 1907, was made vice-chancellor of the University of New Zealand in 1916 and in 1923 chancellor, which position he has held since. Professor Brown married in 1887 Miss Helen Connor, M.A., principal of Christchurch Girls’ High School and the first woman to graduate with honours in a British University. Mrs. Brown died in 1903. Since his retirement from lais active work as professor he has conducted very able research work into the history ,of various peoples of ' the Pacific. His investigations into the history pf Easter Island attracted very wide attenticn. Prefesscr Brawn was also the author of a manual Of English' literature, studies Of various books such as Shakespeare s “Merchant of Venice” and “Julius Caesar,” Thackeray’s “Esmond,” “Samson Agonistes,” “Promentheus Unbound” and “Sartor Resartus.” His works on historical matters include “Maori and Polynesian, Their Origin, History and Culture,” “The Dutch East” and “The Riddle of the Pacific,” written upon Easter Island in 1924.