Henry Walter Jack MBE, OBE (14 June 1891 – 19 December 1977) was an Irish agriculturalist.
Henry Walter Jack | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 June 1891 |
| Died | 19 December 1977 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Agriculturalist |
| Spouse | Dorothy Purdy |
| Children | 2 sons and 1 daughter |
Early life and education
editJack was born in Cork, Ireland in 1891. In 1911, he received his B.A. in economics at National University of Ireland, a B.Sc. in biological sciences in 1912, and studied mycology and plant breeding at Imperial College of Science in 1913.[1]
Career
editIn 1914, Jack went to Malaya to work in the Agricultural Department of the Federated Malay States. He remained with the department for more than twenty years as Economic Botanist, and was credited with increasing rice production in the country by developing new rice areas, and for the successful breeding of high-yielding rice strains. For his research and published work, he was awarded a Doctorate of Science (D.Sc.) from National University of Ireland in 1926, and in 1930 an MBE.[1][2][3]
In 1933, he was appointed Chief Research Officer of the Agricultural Department of the Federated Malay States and Straits Settlements.[4] In the following year, he was appointed Director of Agriculture in the Fiji Islands and received the OBE for his agricultural work. During the Second World War, he supplied a million pounds of fresh vegetables each month to the Allied forces on the island for which he received the thanks of the Fijian Government.[1][5]
In 1945, he was appointed assistant agricultural adviser of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and in 1947, returned to Malaya as agricultural adviser to Special Commissioner in Southeast Asia, Lord Killearn. He retired in 1950.[1][3]
Personal life and death
editJack married Dorothy Purdey in 1919, and they had a daughter and two sons. One son was killed whilst serving in the Royal Navy during the Second World War.[1][6]
He was keen rugby player who was capped twice for Ireland in 1914 and in 1921 whilst on leave, and in Malaya captained the Selangor and Federated Malay States teams. He was instrumental in the creation of the Malayan Rugby Union of which he was secretary for seven years. After retiring to Ireland he joined Landsdowne Rugby Club and was Club President in 1960. Jack died on 19 December 1977 in Dublin, aged 86.[7][8][9]
Honours
editJack was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1930, and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1943.[1][2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Spotlight on Malayans". The Straits Times. 4 May 1947. p. 2.
- ^ a b "Malayan Honours". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 4 June 1930. p. 3.
- ^ a b "New Generation Prefers Bread". The Straits Times. 22 October 1950. p. 11.
- ^ "F.M.S. Appointments". Malaya Tribune. 29 August 1933. p. 7.
- ^ MacNaught, T. J. (1974). "Chiefly Civil Servants? Ambiguity in District Administration and the Preservation of a Fijian Way of Life 1896-1940". The Journal of Pacific History. 9: 3–20. ISSN 0022-3344.
- ^ "Local and Personal". The Straits Budget. 23 May 1919. p. 1.
- ^ "Henry Walter Jack". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Malaya Rugby Football Union". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 28 January 1927. p. 11.
- ^ "Great win for Ireland over Wales last weekend, the same match held 100 years ago has a UCC connection". University College Cork. Retrieved 2024-05-01.