Prescott, James Arthur (1890 - 1987)

Summary

James Prescott was Director of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide from 1938. Earlier he was Chief of the Division of Soils CSIR from 1929 and Professor of Agricultural Chemistry, University of Adelaide from 1924. He was the father of J.R. Prescott. Much of Pescott's research was in soil science, while he also ventured into climatology, geomorphology and geochronology, as well as wine research. He was active in professional organisations, holding office as President of several, and was similarly involved in the activities of the Royal Society of South Australia.

The J. A. Prescott Medal, inaugurated by the Australian Society of Soil Science in 1971, is named in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1911

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Manchester, United Kingdom

1912 - 1916

Career position - Ministry of Agriculture Research Scholar, Rothamsted Experimental Station, United Kingdom

1916 - 1924

Career position - Chief Chemist and Superintendent of Field Experiments, Bahtim Experimental Station, Sultanic Agricultural Society Egypt

1919

Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Manchester, United Kingdom

1919 - 1924

Career position - Member, Cairo Scientific Society

1921 - 1987

Career position - Associate Member, Royal Institute of Chemistry, United Kingdom

1924 - 1955

Career position - Professor of Agricultural Chemistry, Waite Agricultural Research Institute

1924 - 1964

Career position - Foundation Member, International Society of Soil Science

1925 - 1987

Award - Fellow, Chemical Society of London

1925 - 1987

Award - Fellow, Royal Society of South Australia

1927 - 1929

Career position - Chief, CSIR Murray River Soil Investigation Unit

1927 - 1930

Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society of South Australia

1929 - 1931

Career position - Member of Committee, South Australian Branch, Australian Chemical Institute

1929 - 1947

Career position - Chief (part-time), CSIR Division of Soils

1931

Award - H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Australian Chemical Institute

1932

Career event - Elected Member (Chemistry), Australian National Research Council

1932

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Adelaide

1932 - 1933

Career position - President, Royal Society of South Australia

1934 - 1937

Career position - Member of Committee, South Australian Branch, Australian Chemical Institute

1935 - 1939

Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society of South Australia

1936 - 1937

Career position - President, Australian Chemical Institute

1937

Career position - President, Section K (Agriculture and Forestry), Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science

1938

Award - Sir Joseph Verco Medal, Royal Society of South Australia

1938 - 1955

Career position - Director, Waite Agricultural Research Institute

1938 - 1955

Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science

1938 - 1955

Career position - Chairman, CSIR(O) Oenological Research Committee

1940 - 1941

Career position - President, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science

1942 - 1987

Career position - Member, Society of Chemical Industry

1944 - 1953

Award - Fellow, Australian Chemical Institute

1947

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

1948

Award - John Lewis Gold Medal, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch

1948

Award - Farrer Memorial Medal, Farrer Memorial Trust

1948 - 1987

Award - Fellow, Royal Society of Arts, United Kingdom

1948 - 1987

Career position - Member, British Society of Soil Science

1950

Award - Australian Medal of Agricultural Science, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science

1953 - 1987

Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1953 - 1987

Award - Petitioner for the Academy, Founding Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1954

Award - Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science

1955 - 1962

Career position - Editor, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia

1955 - 1970

Career position - Member of Council and scientific advisor, Australian Wine Research Institute

1955 - 1987

Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)

1955 - 1987

Award - Honorary Life Member, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science

1956 -

Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of Adelaide

1956

Award - Doctor of Agricultural Science (DAgrSc), honoris causa, University of Melbourne

1961 - 1987

Award - Honorary Member, Australian Society of Soil Science

1962 - 1966

Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society of South Australia

1964 - 1987

Award - Honorary Life Member, International Society of Soil Science

1971

Life event - Commemorated by J. A. Prescott Medal, established in 1971 by the Australian Society of Soil Science for outstanding contributions to soil science and climatology

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• James Arthur Prescott - Records, 1806 - 1986, MS 166; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Waite Agricultural Research Institute

• James Arthur Prescott - Records, 1947 - 1956; Waite Agricultural Research Institute. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details

Journal Articles

• Prescott, J. A., 'Presidential address: The classification and mapping of soils [Section K - Agriculture and Forestry]', Report of the twenty-third meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, Auckland meeting, January, 1937 (1937), 258-271. Details
• Prescott, J. A., 'Obituary: A. E. V. Richardson', Australian Journal of Science, 13 (4) (1951), 102-103. Details
• Prescott, J. A., 'Agricultural Sciences', Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia, lxxvii (1954), vii-xi. Details
• Stephens, C. G.; and Quirk, J. P., 'James Arthur Prescott, 7 October 1890 - 6 February 1987, elected F.R.S. 1951', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 34 (1988), 641-68. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.1988.0021. Details
• Stephens, C.G.; and Quirk, J.P., 'James Arthur Prescott 1890-1987', Historical Records of Australian Science, 7 (3) (1988), 299-313. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9880730299. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q15485911. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/94549259. Details
• Langham, Terry, Waite Arboretum fact sheet: Prof. J. A. Prescott C.B.E. 1890 - 1987, Friends of Waite Arboretum, 2016. https://friendsofwaitearboretum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PRESCOTT-James-H-.pdf. Details
• 'Prescott, J A (18901007-19870206)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-621985. Details
• 'Awarded honorary DAgrSc, 1956', Honorary degree holders, University of Melbourne, 2023, https://about.unimelb.edu.au/notable-alumni-staff/honorary-degree-holders. Details

Resource Sections

• Stephens, C. G.; and Quirk, J. P., 'James Arthur Prescott 1890-1987', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 2006, https://www.science.org.au/fellowship/fellows/biographical-memoirs/james-arthur-prescott-1890-1987. Details
• Ward, C., 'James Arthur Prescott', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Prescott-James-Arthur. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_p.html. Details
• 'Prescott, James Arthur (1890 - 1987)', Farrer Memorial Trust Medal recipients and orations, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Sydney, 2023, https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/596206/farrer_oration_1948_prof_ja_prescott.pdf. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/interacting_2/farrer-memorial-trust/farrer-memorial-trust-medal-recipients-and-orations. Details