Ira James Cunningham (1905–1971) was a New Zealand researcher in

trace element __NOTOC__ A trace element is a chemical element of a minute quantity, a trace amount, especially used in referring to a micronutrient, but is also used to refer to minor elements in the composition of a rock, or other chemical substance. In nutr ...

nutrition and

animal science Animal science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of humankind". It can also be described as the production and management of farm animals. Historically, the degree was called animal husbandry and the ...

. He is best remembered as a past president of the New Zealand Veterinary Association.

Biography

Early years

Cunningham was born at

Mangatainoka Mangatainoka is a small settlement in the Tararua District of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the banks of the Mangatainoka River, north of Pahiatua. Mangatainoka is home to the DB Breweries#Yeah Tui Brewery, which ceased brewing ...

in the

Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service t ...

in New Zealand on 16 August 1905. He was dux of Dannevirke High School and later took a position as a cadet in the chemical laboratory of the Department of Agriculture in Wellington. While at the department, Cunningham studied part-time at Victoria University College. In 1928, he graduated with a

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 ...

degree, and in 1929 with a Master's of Science with first-class honours in

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

. In 1929, Cunningham attended the Rowett Research Institute at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and this marked the beginning of his lifelong interest in trace element nutrition. He returned to New Zealand with a PhD in copper metabolism to become a research officer in animal nutrition at Wallaceville Veterinary Laboratory in Upper Hutt. Cunningham then attended the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

and gained a Bachelor of

Veterinary Science Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both ...

(BVSc).

Career

Upon his return to Wallaceville, he was appointed chief biochemist and section leader and concentrated on his main work of improving livestock production. In 1945, with the support of John Filmer, director of the Animal Research Division of the Department of Agriculture, Cunningham became superintendent of the Wallaceville station. He was in charge of Wallaceville from 1945 to 1958. The bacteriologist Sydney Josland worked under the direction of Cunningham at Wallaceville until he left to commence employment at the National Health Institute in Wellington in 1954. Cunningham became Assistant Director General of Agriculture in 1958 and his services to agriculture were recognised in the

1959 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1959 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 30 December 1958 to cele ...

when he was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. The degree of DSc was conferred upon Cunningham the same year by

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

for his research on copper metabolism, and he received an honorary DVSc from the University of Melbourne in 1967. In 1962, Cunningham was appointed as foundation dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Massey Agricultural College 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 ...

. Cunningham was made a fellow of the

Royal Society of New Zealand Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal ...

in 1963 and was awarded the Society's Hector Memorial Medal and Prize in 1971. Among elected offices Cunningham held were those of chairman of the Veterinary Surgeons' Board, president of the

New Zealand Veterinary Association The New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA), formerly the New Zealand Veterinary Association, is a professional organisation in New Zealand. The association was established in 1923 to "assist in the development of the profess ...

and New Zealand Society of Animal Production.

Death and legacy

Cunningham died at

Palmerston North, New Zealand 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 Ma ...

on 28 August 1971.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Ira 1905 births 1971 deaths Academic staff of Massey University People from the Wairarapa University of Sydney alumni Veterinary scientists Victoria University of Wellington alumni Alumni of the University of Aberdeen New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century New Zealand scientists Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand