Frank John Fenner 1914–2010
Professor Frank Fenner AC MBE FAA FRS was a virologist whose research on mousepox and myxomatosis revealed how viruses and hosts co-evolve, and who led the World Health Organization campaign that eradicated smallpox globally.
Frank Fenner made major contributions to our understanding of viruses through his research on ectromelia and on the co-evolution of the myxoma virus and its rabbit host. Then in later life he applied his formidable administrative skills to promoting the study of the environment as the first Director of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University. Fenner was a key member of the World Health Organization team behind the eradication of smallpox. He made a very impressive contribution to the literature in microbiology and his textbooks on virology are used throughout the world.
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About this memoir
This memoir was originally published in Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 24(1), 2013. It was written by Stephen Boyden, Robert Blanden and Cedric Mims.
