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Biographical entry Masson, David Orme (1858 - 1937)

CBE, KBE, FRSE, FRS

Born
18 January 1858
Hampstead, England
Died
10 August 1937
South Yarra, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Chemist

Summary

(Sir) David Orme Masson was Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne (1886-1923) and was important in the establishment of the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research). He presided over a number of national scientific and research organisations and was knighted in 1923. Masson is commemorated by the Masson theatre and Masson Road at the University of Melbourne; the Masson lectureship from the Australian National Research Council 1931; Masson memorial scholarship from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1939; and a mountain range and island in Antarctica. Masson was educated at the University of Edinburgh and in Göttingen, Germany.

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Details

Events

1878
Education - Master of Arts (MA) completed at the University of Edinburgh
1880
Career position - Lecturer in Chemistry at University College Bristol, UK
1880
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Edinburgh
1882 - 1885
Career position - Research Fellow of the University of Edinburgh
1884
Education - Doctor of Science (DSc) received from the University of Edinburgh
1886 - 1923
Career position - Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne
1900
Career position - First President of the Society of Chemical Industry of Victoria
1917
Career position - Founder and first President of the Australian Chemical Institute, Victorian branch
1918
Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
1922 - 1926
Career position - President of the Australian National Research Council
1922 - 1926
Career position - President of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science
1923
Award - Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
1923 - 1924
Career position - President of the Australian Chemical Institute
1931
Award - Masson lectureship established in his honour by the Australian National Research Council
1939
Award - Masson Memorial Scholarship established in his honour by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

  • David Orme Masson - Records, 1893 - 1933, MS 12; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

The University of Melbourne Archives

  • David Orme Masson - Records, 1881 - 1937; The University of Melbourne Archives. Details

Published resources

Books

  • Masson, David Orme, The Classification of the Chemical Elements, Melville, Mullen & Slade, Melbourne, 1896. Details
  • Weickhardt, L.W., Masson of Melbourne: the Life and Times of David Orme Masson KBE, MA, DSc, LLD, FRSE, FRS, Professor of Chemistry, University of Melbourne 1886-1923, Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Parkville, Vic, 1989, 226 pp. Details

Book Sections

  • Weickhardt, L. W., 'Masson, Sir David Orme (1858-1937), Chemist, Professor and Man of Science', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 10, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1986, pp. 432-435. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100424b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

  • Anderson, J. S., 'Sir David Masson's Scientific Work', The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Proceedings, vol. 25, 1958, pp. 542-544. Details
  • Burnet, Frank Macfarlane, 'David Orme Masson', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, vol. 25, 1958, pp. 530-532. Details
  • Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, '150 Years, 150 Stories: Masson Family', Uni News, vol. 12, no. 10, 2003, p. 4. Details
  • MacDonald, G.W. and Masson, David Orme, 'A Product of the Action of Nitric Oxide on Sodium Ethylate', Journal of the Chemical Society, London, vol. 65, Chemical Society, London, 1894, pp. 944-949. Details
  • Masson, D.O., 'obituary of David Orme Masson in presidential address by W.L. Waterhouse ', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 72, Acting Government Printer, Sydney, 1938, pp. 5-6. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Sulphine Salts Containing the Ethylene Radical. Part II. On Dehn's Reaction Between Ethylene Bromide and Alkyl Sulphide', The Chemical News and Journal of Physical Science, vol. 53, 1886, p. 129. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'On the Relation Between the Boiling-Points, Molecular Volumes, and ChemicaL Characters of Liquids', Philosophical Magazine, vol. 30, 1890, pp. 412-423. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Uber die beziehung zwischen den siedenpunkten, molekularvolumen und der chemischen zusammensetzung der flussigkeiten', Philosophical Magazine, 1890, pp. 412-423. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Presidential Address, Section B, Chemistry and Mineralogy, The Gaseous Theory of Solution', Report of the Third Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 3, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney, 1891, pp. 84-103. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Does Magnesium Form Alkyl Compounds?', Report of the Third Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 3, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney, 1891, pp. 107-108. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'On Molecular Volumes and Boiling-Points in Relation to Chemical Character', Report of the Third Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 3, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney, 1891, pp. 103-106. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'A Deduction from the Gaseous Theory of Solution', Nature, vol. 43, Macmillan Journals, London, 1891, pp. 345-349. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Eine folgerung aus der theorie gasahnlicher losungen', Zietschrift fur Physikalische Chemie, vol. 7, 1891, pp. 500-510. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Does Hydrogen Find its Proper Place at the Head of Group I, or at the Head of Group VII ?', The Chemical News and Journal of Physical Science, vol. 72, 1896, pp. 283-284. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Ionic velocities', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, vol. 192, Royal Society of London, London, 1899, pp. 331-350. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Uebere ionengeschwindigkeiten.', Zietschrift fur Physikalische Chemie, vol. 29, 1899, pp. 501-526. Details
  • Masson, David Orme, 'Sir David Orme Masson (Obituary by A.C.D. Rivett)', Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society, vol. 2, Harrison & Sons, London, 1939, pp. 455-464. Details
  • Masson, David Orme and Kirkland, J.B., 'Preparation of the Salts of Triethylsulphine, Tetraethylphosphonium, and Analogous Bases', Journal of the Chemical Society, London, vol. 55, Chemical Society, London, 1889, pp. 135-142. Details
  • Masson, David Orme and Kirkland, J.B., 'The Action of Bromine and Chlorine on the Salts of Tetraethylphosphonium', Journal of the Chemical Society, London, vol. 55, Chemical Society, London, 1889, pp. 126-134. Details
  • Masson, David Orme and Kirkland, J.B., 'The Experimental Investigation of Osmotic Pressure', Report of the Fifth Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 5, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney, 1893, p. 316. Details
  • Masson, David Orme and Kirkland, J.B., 'The Experimental Investigation of Osmotic Pressure', Report of the Fifth Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 5, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney, 1893, p. 316. Details
  • Masson, David Orme and Steele B.D., 'The Blue Salt of Fehling's Solution and Other Cuprotartrates', Journal of the Chemical Society, London, vol. 75, Chemical Society, London, 1899, pp. 725-734. Details
  • Masson, David Orme and Wilsmore, N.T.M, 'Does Magnesium form Compounds with Hydrocarbon Radicles?', Proceedings of the Chemical Society, vol. 7, Gurney & Jackson., London, 1891. Details
  • Masson, Orme (sic), 'Short Address on the Chemistry of To-Day', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, NEW SERIES, vol. 2, Stillwell and Co., Melbourne, 1890, pp. xiii-xvii. Details
  • Wark, I.W., 'David Orme Masson, 1858-1937.', The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Proceedings, vol. 25, November, 1958, pp. 533-541. Details
  • Wilsmore, N. T. M., 'The Life and Work of Sir David Orme Masson', Australian Journal of Science, vol. 3, 1941, pp. 139-144. Details

Online Resources

See also

McCarthy, G.J.

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 18 October 2006