Person
Prescott, James Arthur (1890 - 1987)
FAA FRS
- Born
- 7 October 1890
Bolton, Lancashire, England - Died
- 6 February 1987
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia - Occupation
- Agricultural scientist
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
Children
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
Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 14 December 2023
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education