Robert Owen Page (23 November 1897 – 14 July 1957) was a New Zealand

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaig ...

and industrial chemist.

Biography

Page was born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, New Zealand, on 23 November 1897. His father, Samuel Page, taught chemistry at Canterbury College, while his mother,

Sarah Saunders Sarah Page ( Saunders; 26 August 1863 – 20 January 1950), also known as Sarah Saunders Page, was a New Zealand teacher, feminist, prohibitionist, socialist, social reformer, and politician. Early life and family Sarah Saunders was born in ...

, was a feminist who promoted social reforms. His maternal grandfather was

Alfred Saunders Alfred Saunders (12 June 1820 – 28 October 1905) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician. Early life Saunders was born in 1820 in Market Lavington, the youngest son of Mary and Amram Saunders. He was educated in Market Lavington and at a ...

a radical politician. Robert's friends knew him as Robin, and he attended

Christchurch Boys’ High School , motto_translation = I Seek Higher Things , type = State school, Day and Boarding school , gender = Boys , song = The School We Magnify , colours = Blue and Black , established = , address = 71 Straven R ...

until 1914. He won a university Junior Scholarship and went to

Canterbury College Canterbury College may refer to: * Canterbury College (Indiana), U.S. * Canterbury College (Waterford), Queensland, Australia * Canterbury College (Windsor, Ontario), Canada * Canterbury College, Kent, England * Canterbury College, Oxford, Engl ...

, where he earned a

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

majoring in chemistry in 1917. He was awarded the Sir George Grey Scholarship, a Senior Scholarship and the Haydon Prize. He was a conscientious objector and was imprisoned in 1918.

References

1897 births 1957 deaths New Zealand chemists New Zealand pacifists Scientists from Christchurch Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand University of Canterbury alumni Saunders family People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School Fellows of the Royal Institute of Chemistry New Zealand conscientious objectors {{chemist-stub