Cowan, Henry Jacob (Jack) (1919 - 2007)

Summary

Jack Cowan was the world's first Professor of Architectural Science, at University of Sydney from 1953 to 1984, where he developed the first undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Architectural Science, and established the first architectural research unit in Australia.

In 1958 he founded the Architectural Science Review, an international refereed journal which he edited for 25 years. He authored twenty seven books, including one in its fifth edition. He was also editor of the 25 volumes of the Elsevier Architectural Science Series, wrote more than three hundred contributions to books and magazines, and thousands of book reviews.

In 1979 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, in 1983 an Officer of the Order of Australia, and in 1987 the first ever Honorary Doctor of Architecture of the University of Sydney.

His early research into torsion in reinforced concrete, led to changes to concrete design practices in Australia, that led to changes in world-wide practices.

Details

Some of his major books include:
* "Design of reinforced concrete", 1963, 1968, 1976, 1982, (with Peter R Smith) 2009;
* "An historical outline of architectural science", 1966;
* "Models in architecture", (with Richard W Muncey) 1968;
* "Architectural structures : an introduction to structural mechanics", 1971, 1975, 1976, 1980;
* "Dictionary of architectural science", 1973, 1976;
* "Dictionary of architectural and building technology", 1986;
* "The master builders : a history of structural and environmental design from ancient Egypt to the nineteenth century", 1977;
* "Science and Building", 1978;
* "Structural systems", 1980;
* "The world's greatest buildings : masterpieces of architecture & engineering", 2000.

[Also see Published resources]

Chronology

1939

Education - Bachelor of Science (Civil and Mechanical engineering), University of Manchester, England

1940

Education - Master of Science, University of Manchester, England

1940 - 1941

Life event - Interned as an 'alien', set to Canada

1941 - 1945

Career position - Pioneer Corps, British Army, United Kingdom

1946 - 1948

Career position - Assistant Lecturer, Buildings, University of Cardiff, Wales

1948 - 1953

Career position - Lecturer, Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Sheffield, England

1952

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Sheffield - Torsion in concrete

1953

Life event - Migrated to Australia

1953 - 1984

Career event - Foundation Professor, Architectural Science, University of Sydney

1954

Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1956

Award - R W Chapman Medal, Institution of Engineers Australia

1958 - 1983

Career event - Founder, editor Architectural Science Review

1960

Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1962

Career position - Visiting Professor of Architecture, Cornell University, New York

1963

Education - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), University of Sheffield

1968

Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.]

1969 - 1970

Career position - National President, Building Science Forum Australia

1973

Career position - Visiting Professor of Architecture, Kumasi Technical University, Ghana

1976

Career position - Visiting Professor of Architecture, Trabzon University, Turkey

1979

Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Australian Institute of Architects (HonFRAIA)

1983

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - In recognition of service to architectural science

1984

Education - Master of Architecture, University of Sydney

1984

Education - Emeritus Professor, Architectural Science, University of Sydney

c. 1986 - c. 2006

Career position - Member, Engineering Heritage Committee, Sydney Division, Institution of Engineers Australia

1987

Award - Doctor of Architecture, honoris causa, University of Sydney

1995

Award - Monash medal, Institution of Engineers Australia

1998

Award - Harnett medal, Royal Society of Arts

2006

Award - Fellow, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats (CTBUH Fellow)

Related entries

Archival resources

Private hands (Cowan, H.J.)

• Henry Jacob Cowan - Records, 1948 - 1986; Private hands (Cowan, H.J.). Details

Published resources

Articles

• Julian, Warren, 'Henry Cowan 1919-2007- A pioneer of architectural science', http://www.alumni.sydney.edu.au/s/965/index.aspx?sid=965&gid=1&pgid=525. Details

Books

• Cowan, Henry J., From Wattle and Daub to Concrete and Steel: the Engineering Heritage of Australia's Buildings (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1998), 248 pp. Author. Details
• Cowan, Henry J. (Henry Jacob), A contradiction in terms : the autobiography of Henry J. Cowan, Foundation Professor of Architectural Science, University of Sydney. (Sydney: Department of Architectural and Design Science, University of Sydney : Hermitage Press, 1993), xii, 254 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Cowan, Henry J, 'Chapter 11: City buildings' in Sydney: from settlement to city: an engineering history of Sydney, Don Fraser, ed. (Crows Nest, New South Wales: Engineers Australia, 1989), pp. 219-240. Details
• Cowan, Henry J., 'Priddle, Raymond Arthur (1913 - 1971), consulting engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 16: 1940 - 1980 Pik-Z, John Ritchie and Diane Langmore, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2002), pp. 33-34, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/priddle-raymond-arthur-11459. Details

Journal Articles

• Clarke, Michael, 'Henry Jacob (Jack) Cowan AO', Newsletter of Engineering Heritage Australia, 20 (May 2008) (2008), 3-4, https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2017-01/eha%20newsletter%2020-0002_0.pdf. Details
• Cowan, H. J., 'Some Applications of the Use of Direct Model Analysis in the Design of Architectural Structures', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 33 (1961), 259. Details
• Cowan, H. J., 'A History of Structural Concrete and its Adoption in Australia as a Major Building Material', Transactions of The Institution of Engineers, Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE19 (2) (1995), 83-96. Details
• Cowan, Henry J., 'Structural deisgn by observation of failures: how the Gothic master masons determined the dimensions of their structures', Architectural Science Review, 35 (2) (1992), 51-58. Details
• Cowan, Henry J., 'Development of Reinforced Concrete Construction in New Zealand and Australia.', Transactions of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand: General Engineering, 22 (1) (1995), 1-8, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.404945659778347. Details
• Cowan, Henry Jacob, 'Torsion in Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Beams', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 28 (1956), 235. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Julian, Warren, 'From refugee to the dawn of a new science [Obituary : Jack Cowan]', Sydney Morning Herald (2007). https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-refugee-to-the-dawn-of-a-new-science-20070827-gdqyi3.html. Details

Reports

• Institution of Engineers Australia, Thirty-eighth Annual Report [1957] (1958), 16 pp. 'Prizes - R. W. Chapman Medal (1956 Award), to Professor Henry J Cowan, MSc PhD AMIEAust, for his paper entitled "Torsion in Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Beams"', p.2. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q56598534. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/9914983. Details
• 'Cowan, Henry J (1919-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-804451. Details