Myers, Rupert Horace (1921 - 2019)

Summary

Sir Rupert Horace Myers was the Foundation Professor of Metallurgy at the University of New South Wales and the University's Vice-chancellor from 1969-1981. Throughout his illustrious career he has held numerous appointments, often consecutive, including Chairman of the Co-operative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting, President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and was a member of the Prime Minister's Science and Engineering Council.

In total, Sir Myers has been director or chairman of over twenty boards and foundations and president, councillor or member on at least another twelve occasions. He was the first person in Australia to receive a Doctor of Philosophy (University of Melbourne, 1948) and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1981. The University of New South Wales has named a building and lecture hall in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1941 - 1942

Career position - Private in the Melbourne University Regiment of the Australian Army

1942

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Melbourne

1942 - 1948

Career position - Commonwealth Research Fellow, University of Melbourne

1943

Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Melbourne

1945 - 1948

Career position - Honorary Secretary, Australian Institute of Metals, Victorian branch

1947

Award - Grimwade Prize, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1948

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Melbourne

1948 - 1952

Career position - Senior then Principal Research Officer at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Hartwell, UK

1950 - 1952

Career position - Deputy Chief of the Metallurgy Division of the Atomic Research Establishment

1952 - 1964

Career position - Head of the School of Metallurgy, University of New South Wales

1952 - 1965

Career position - Councillor of the Australian Institute of Metals

1952 - 1965

Career position - Councillor of the Australian Institute of Metals, New South Wales branch

1952 - 1981

Career position - Foundation Professor of Metallurgy, University of New South Wales

1957 - 1961

Career position - Dean and Chairman of the Faculty of Applied Science, University of New South Wales

1958 - 1961

Career position - Vice-President then President, Australian Institute of Metals, New South Wales branch

1959 - 1970

Career position - Chairman, Overseas Membership Advisory Panel of the Institution of Metallurgists (London)

1961 - 1963

Career position - Vice-President then President, Australian Institute of Metals

1961 - 1969

Career position - Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of New South Wales

1964 - 1969

Career position - Chairman, Institution of Metallurgists (London) - Australian Regions

1965

Award - Florence Taylor Medal, Australian Institute of Metals

1966 - 1983

Career position - Director of the Prince Henry, Prince of Wales and Eastern Suburbs Hospitals, New South Wales

1969 - 1981

Career position - Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of New South Wales

1969 - 1981

Career position - Director and Deputy Chairman of Unisearch Limited

1971 - 1989

Career position - Chairman, New South Wales State Pollution Control Commission

1973

Education - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Strathclyde, Scotland

1976

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, University of Wollongong, New South Wales

1976

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - Vice-Chancellor, University of New South Wales

1976 - 1979

Career position - Vice-Chairman (1976-1977) then Chairman of the Australian Vice-chancellors' Committee

1979 - 1987

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS)

1981 -

Career position - Emeritus Professor of Metallurgy, University of New South Wales

1981

Award - Honorary Fellow, Institute of Metals and Materials Australia (FIMMA)

1981

Award - Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) - For Services to education and science

1981

Education - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), honoris causa, University of Newcastle, New South Wales

1981

Education - Doctor of Letters (DLitt), honoris causa, University of New South Wales

1981 - 1993

Career position - Director of CSR Limited

1982 -

Career position - Director of Energy Resources of Australia Limited

1982 - 1985

Career position - Chairman, New South Wales Coastal Council

1982 - 1994

Career position - Council member, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

1984 - 1992

Career position - Director of Earthwatch Australia Limited

1985 - 1987

Career position - Vice-President, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

1987

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Awarded by AATS 1979]

1987 - 1991

Career position - Director of IBM Australia Limited

1989 - 1993

Career position - Chairman of Unisearch Limited

1989 - 1994

Career position - President, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

1991

Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1995

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - For service to the promotion of innovation and commerce in the fields of science technology and engineering

1997 - 2019

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

2001

Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society and science

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'Vale Sir Rupert Myers KBE AO FTSE FAA', Applied, 208 (2019), 67. https://www.atse.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Applied_magazine_March_2019_final_web.pdf. Details
• Anon, 'Sir Rupert Myers KBE AO FAA FTSE 21 February 1921 to 21 February 2019', Australian Academy of Science Newsletter, 127 (2019), 18. https://www.science.org.au/academy-newsletter/march-2019-125. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Eight new honorary fellows', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 63 (22) (1991), 49. Details
• Rae, Ian D., 'Rupert Horace Myers 1921 - 2019', Historical Records of Australian Science, 35 (1) (2024), 51-9. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR 23023. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7380335. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/16183427. Details
• 'Myers, Rupert H (1921-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-491688. Details
• 'Awarded honorary DEng, 1981', Honorary degrees, University of Newcastle, 2023, https://www.newcastle.edu.au/engage/alumni/stories/honorary-degrees. Details