Person
Cannon, Jack Richard (1927 - 2014)
AM
- Born
- 1 October 1927
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Died
- 8 August 2014
late of Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia - Occupation
- Organic chemist
Summary
Jack Cannon was an organic chemist whose early research was in phytochemistry. He became Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at the University of Western Australia in 1959. In parallel with his research and teaching at the University, he was instrumental in setting up phytochemical survey of plants in southern Thailand based at Prince of Songkla University. From this he became involved in facilitating the co-operation, co-ordination and communication of chemical research throughout southeast Asia. In particular he participated with UNESCO in the region and served as Australia's National Point-of-Contact 1978 - 1983. Cannon was involved in the establishment of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies, for which he was given the Federation's Citation in 1991. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Asian Symposia on Medicinal Plants, Spices and Other Natural Products. An outcome of the 1992 Symposium, initiated by Cannon and UNESCO, was the Manila Declaration on the Ethical Utilization of Asian Biological Resources. This informed Cannon's subsequent phytochemical work, including with indigenous communities in Western Australia.
Details
Chronology
- 1948
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney
- 1950
- Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Sydney
- 1950 - 1951
- Career position - Teaching Fellow, Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Sydney
- 1951 - 1953
- Award - 1851 Exhibition Overseas Scholarship [Organic Chemistry. - On vitamin B12. University of Cambridge]
- 1953
- Award - Beit Memorial Fellowship for Medical Research, University of Cambridge
- c. 1954
- Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Cambridge
- 1955 - 1959
- Career position - Research officer, CSIRO Division of Industrial Chemistry
- 1959
- Career event - Associate, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (ARACI)
- 1959 - 1972
- Career position - Senior Lecturer, Organic Chemistry, University of Western Australia
- 1964
- Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI)
- 1973 - 1992
- Career position - Associate Professor, School of Chemistry, University of Western Australia
- 1979
- Career position - Fellow, Federation of Asian Chemical Societies
- 1980
- Award - Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc), Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
- 1980 - 1997
- Career position - Chair, International Advisory Committee, Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants, Spices and Other Natural Products
- 1987 - 2014
- Career position - Fellow, Royal Society of Western Australia
- 1989
- Award - UNESCO Einstein Silver Medal
- 1991
- Award - Federation of Asian Chemical Societies Citation
- 1992
- Life event - Retired
- 1992 - 1997
- Career position - Senior Honorary Research Fellow, University of Western Australia
- 1996
- Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - in recognition of service to science and technology in the field of chemical research and education and in the promotion of international co-operation among chemists in Australia and South East Asia
- 1996 - 2014
- Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 2014
- Buried - Cremated, Karrakatta Cemetery
Related entries
Published resources
Books
- Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Record of the science research scholars of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, 1891 - 1960 (London: The Commissioners, 1961), 107 pp. Overseas Scholarship - Entry No.203. Details
Journal Articles
- Spurling, Tom [et al.], 'Obituary: Jack Cannon AM, organic chemist and promoter of international co-operation', Chemistry in Australia, 2015 (February) (2015), 30. Details
Helen Cohn; Ken McInnes
Last modified: 8 October 2026