Sir Frederick William George White, C. B. E., 26 May 1905 - 17 August 1994

Abstract

Sir Frederick White was one of the most influential men in Australian science during and after World War II. At the comparatively early age of 39, he resigned from his Chair of Physics at Canterbury College, University of New Zealand, to become an Executive Officer of the Australian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (C.S.I.R.). Many years later he was to write ‘In doing so I abandoned any future personal activity in scientific research. I have never regretted doing so.’ His acceptance of the challenge to participate in leading C.S.I.R. had a profound influence on the advancement of Australian science and on the professional lives of the scientists involved.