John Melvin Swan 1924–2015

John Swan began his career as a chemist working in an explosives factory during World War 2, and attending evening classes at the Melbourne Technical College. His subsequent studies at the University of Melbourne and the University of London were followed by employment at CSIRO before he moved to Monash University in 1966 as Professor of Organic Chemistry. He was subsequently Pro-Vice-Chancellor and then Dean of Science at Monash before ‘retiring'. His involvement in broader fields of science and technology, that had begun during his university years, then expanded and he made significant contributions to marine ecology, wool scouring and other fields. His was, from start to finish, an astonishing career, one that brought him great satisfaction as he worked with colleagues in government, industry, education and environment.

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Corrigendum

The authors of the above mentioned paper regret to inform that on page 64 in the Tributes section, the date of John Swan’s death was incorrect. The correct date is 15 June 2015.

About this memoir

This memoir was originally published in Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 28(1), 2017. It was written by David J. Collins and Ian D. Rae.