Donald Frederick Bacon (6 April 1926 – 28 August 2020) was a New Zealand microbiologist. In 1966, he was appointed the inaugural professor of microbiology at

Massey University Massey University () is a Public university, public research university in New Zealand that provides internal and distance education. The university has campuses in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Wellington. Data from Universities New Zealand ...

, where he remained until his retirement in 1989.

Biography

Born in Gisborne on 6 April 1926, Bacon was the son of Mabel Tui Bacon (née Allott) and Frederick George Bacon. He was educated at Gisborne High School, and in 1944 began training as a medical laboratory technician at Cook Hospital. In 1947, Bacon began studying at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, graduating

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

in 1950, and

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

with first-class honours in 1954. From 1951, he worked as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Microbiology at Otago, assisting Molly Marples in the teaching of the second-year course and the introduction of the third-year course in microbiology. During the summer recesses between 1951 and 1955, Bacon joined health research teams funded by the Medical Research Council in Niue and Samoa. Assisted by a

Fulbright Scholarship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

, Bacon undertook doctoral studies at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in the United States, completing his

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in 1958. His doctoral thesis was titled ''Studies of mutational processes in bacteria'', and was particularly concerned with mutations in ''

Escherichia coli ''Escherichia coli'' ( )Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus '' Escherichia'' that is commonly fo ...

''. While at Yale, Bacon met his future wife, Flo Thanassi, a research assistant at the university; they became engaged in 1957 and later married. Bacon returned to teaching and research at Otago, until being appointed the first professor of microbiology, and head of the Department of Microbiology and Genetics, at Massey University in

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...

in 1966. He continued his research into the genetics of ''E. coli'' and associated

bacteriophages A bacteriophage (), also known informally as a phage (), is a virus that infects and replicates within bacteria. The term is derived . Bacteriophages are composed of proteins that encapsulate a DNA or RNA genome, and may have structures tha ...

until retiring in 1989. On his retirement, he was conferred the title of

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

. Bacon died in Palmerston North on 28 August 2020, aged 94. He had been predeceased by his wife, Flo, in 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon, Don 1926 births 2020 deaths People from Gisborne, New Zealand People educated at Gisborne Boys' High School University of Otago alumni Yale University alumni Academic staff of the University of Otago Academic staff of Massey University New Zealand microbiologists 20th-century New Zealand scientists 20th-century New Zealand biologists