Richard Ellis Ford Matthews, O.N.Z. 20 November 1921 — 19 February 1995

Abstract

Richard (Dick) Ellis Ford Matthews was a distinguished plant virologist, a proud fourth-generation New Zealander, and a man of great energy, enthusiasm and scientific integrity. He pioneered the use of nucleotide analogues for interfering with virus infection; he showed the merits of turnip yellow mosaic virus as a model for studying many aspects of plant virology; he informed and influenced many aspiring plant virologists worldwide by his comprehensive textbook on the subject; and he led the drive to establish molecular biology in New Zealand.