Professor Francis John Newhook OBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (b.16 November 1918, date of death before 2000) was the head of the School of Plant Pathology at the University of Auckland

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...

, New Zealand. He was the first plant pathologist at the university, from 1966 (sponsored by New Zealand Forest Products) as an Associate Professor, and from 1969 a personal chair. Previously he was a scientist at the DSIR

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

Several countries have organizations called the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR.-United Kingdom:...

.

Newhook was born in Auckland on 16 November 1918. He was educated at Auckland Grammar School

Auckland Grammar School

Auckland Grammar School is a state secondary school for years 9 to 13 boys in Auckland, New Zealand. It had a roll of 2,483 in 2008, including a number of boarders who live in nearby Tibbs' House, making it one of the largest schools in New Zealand...

 and the University of Auckland. He married (1) Agnes Marjorie Anderson (three children) and (2) pianist Janetta McStay. In WWII he was a Major in the 2nd NZEF

New Zealand Expeditionary Force

The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...

 in the Middle East and Italy. He is now deceased.

Newhook published extensively on fungal pathogens, especially Phytophthora

Phytophthora

Phytophthora is a genus of plant-damaging Oomycetes , whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on crops worldwide, as well as environmental damage in natural ecosystems. The genus was first described by Heinrich Anton de Bary in 1875...

, and wrote over 90 scientific papers and other publications.

Recognition

Newhook was awarded a Doctor of Science degree by the University of London c.1982, and received an OBE in 1984. As the collector
of the holotype collection, the fungi Dichomitus newhookii is named after him.

In 2004, Landcare Research

Landcare Research New Zealand Limited

Landcare Research is one of New Zealand's Crown Research Institutes. The focus of the research at this company is the environment, biodiversity, and sustainability.-History:...

 named one of its Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

laboratories the FJ Newhook Microbiology Laboratory in his honour.