Francis Patrick Dwyer
Encyclopedia
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. He was one of the most distinguished scientists Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
has produced. At the time of his death in 1962 he was widely recognised as a leading authority in inorganic chemistry, and had laid the foundation in Australia for a new field of research bridging science and medicine—biological inorganic chemistry. His influence as a teacher and as a researcher was widespread.
Early years
Dwyer was born at Raymond Terrace, New South WalesRaymond Terrace, New South Wales
Raymond Terrace is a town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road north of Newcastle on the Pacific Highway. Established in 1837 it is situated at the confluence of the Hunter and Williams rivers and has about 12,600 residents. It is the administrative centre of the Port...
and attended Marist Brothers College in Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
. In 1928 he enrolled in the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
as a student in the faculty of Science and attained his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in 1930 and his Masters
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in 1933.
Professional life
Following his university studies Dwyer was appointed to the Inorganic Chemistry Department of the Sydney Technical CollegeSydney Technical College
The Sydney Technical College was a name used by Australia's oldest technical education institution.It began as the Sydney Mechanics' Institute in 1843...
, where he held the post of Head Lecturer until 1946. In that year he was awarded the Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
from the University of Sydney for his thesis entitled: 'The Diazoamino Compounds; their Metallic Salts and Metallic Hydroxide Lakes'. The University's regulations for this degree were so stringent that Dwyer's award was the first D Sc in Chemistry awarded for nearly 20 years.
In 1946 Dwyer accepted a Senior Lectureship in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Sydney, a position he held until 1957. Here he continued research on metal coordination compounds and began his important work on optical activity of metal complexes. This interest led him into biological chemistry.
In 1956 he was appointed to a new Chair of Inorganic Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, USA. However a number of Australia's senior scientists, realising the loss to Australia of a scientist of Dwyer's calibre, succeeded in establishing for him a Visiting Reader in charge of a Unit of Biological Inorganic Chemistry in the John Curtin School of Medical Research
John Curtin School of Medical Research
The John Curtin School of Medical Research is a major biomedical research centre in Australia, and part of the Australian National University, Canberra. The school was founded in 1948, as a result of the vision of Australian Nobel Laureate Sir Howard Florey and Prime Minister John Curtin.The Nobel...
in Canberra. This was done in conjunction with Australian National University and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
(CSIRO). Dwyer took up this position in 1959.
In 1960 he was given a Personal Professorship and in 1961 he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
Australian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
. In Canberra he began investigating the effect of metal complexes on biological activity, and was a pioneer in this field. In all he published 160 research papers; he commenced the book Chelating Agents and Metal Chelates, which was published after his death.
Awards and achievements
In recognition of his outstanding work, Professor Frank Dwyer attained the following awards and achievements- Rennie Medal in 1940;
- Smith Medal and Prize in 1945 awarded by Royal Australian Chemical Institute.
- David Syme Medal and Prize in 1953 awarded by the University of Melbourne for distinguished work in natural sciences.
- He was the George Fisher-Baker lecturer at Cornell University USA in 1954
- In 1960 he held the first lectureship instituted by the Chemical Society of London for the purpose of encouraging the study of chemistry in Australian Universities.
- He gave the Liversidge Lecture entitled 'The Future of Inorganic Chemistry in Biology' to ANZAAS in 1959.
- In 1961 he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
- He delivered the Presidential address to the Chemistry Section of ANZAAS in 1961
- Also in 1961 he was invited to address the Sixth International Conference on Coordination Chemistry in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Family life
On 12 January 1939 he married Lola, daughter of Arthur Carrington Bosworth and his wife Florence of SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Frank and Lola had two sons, Frank and Mark, and a daughter Fleur. Frank, who died in 1982, was a research chemist with CSR
CSR Limited
CSR Limited is a major Australian industrial company, producing aluminium and building products. It is publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. In 2009, it has approximately 10,000 employees and during a period of a major cyclical downturn the company made an after-tax profit of...
in Sydney and produced a number of patents for the industry; Mark obtained a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Chemistry from Australian National University; and Fleur attained a Master of Education and worked in Catholic Education, including at the Australian Catholic University in Canberra.
Dwyer was a man of exceptional imagination and vigour. His greatest qualities were his sincerity, modesty and ability to inspire others by his gentle leadership and personal example.
Dwyer died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in the Canberra suburb of Manuka, Australian Capital Territory, aged 51, and was buried in Woden Cemetery
Woden Cemetery
The Woden Cemetery is the main cemetery in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is located adjacent to the Woden Town Centre.The cemetery opened in 1936 as the Canberra General Cemetery. It closed for burials in 1979, but was re-opened in March 1999...
, Canberra. A portrait of him hangs in the Dwyer Lecture Theatre in the School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, Kensington
Kensington, New South Wales
Kensington is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kensington is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Randwick, in the Eastern Suburbs region...
.