Person

O'Donnell, Thomas Aloysius (Tom) (1923 - 2010)

Born
28 November 1923
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Died
21 February 2010
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Inorganic chemist and University Administrator

Summary

Tom O'Donnell was a chemist of international standing for his innovative experimental work with fluorine and its compounds. In 1988 he retired as Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Melbourne after nearly 40 years of teaching. In retirement he continued at the University where his group patented new processes for making pigment-grade titanium dioxide, cleaning spent potlining from aluminium smelters, and manufacturing titanium. His publications included Manual of elementary practical chemistry (1955, 3rd edition 1963) with Ron Brown and The chemistry of fluorine (1975).

Details

Chronology

1946
Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Melbourne
1951 - 1957
Career position - Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1954
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Melbourne
1955
Career position - Royal Society, London, and Nuffield Foundation Bursar, University of Cambridge
1957 - 1963
Career position - Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1962
Award - Fulbright Research Senior Scholarship, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, U.S.A.
1963 - 1979
Career position - Reader in Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1968
Award - David Syme Research Prize (jointly), University of Melbourne
1969
Career position - Canadian Commonwealth Visiting Professor, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
1971
Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Melbourne
1973 - 1981
Career position - Chairman, Catholic Education Commission of Victoria
1976
Career position - Research Scientist, Lawrence Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A.
1977 - 1978
Career position - Head, School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1979 - 1988
Career position - Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1982 - 1986
Career position - Member, Australian Research Council Grant Committee
1982 - 1986
Career position - Head, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1989 - 2010
Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne
1994 - 2010
Career position - Research Consultant, University of Ballarat
1998 - 2005
Career position - Member of Council, University of Ballarat

Related Awards

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Journal Articles

  • Bond, A. M.; and Martin, R. L., 'Vale Tom O'Donnell: Australia's leading fluorine chemist', Chemistry in Australia, 2010 (July) (2010), 13. Details
  • O'Donnell, Tom, 'The Kipp generator: transforming chemistry teaching in the 1950s', University of Melbourne Collections, 23 (2018), 29-31. Details

Newspaper Articles

Helen Cohn

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