James Douglas Morrison 1924–2013

Abstract

Jim Morrison was born in Scotland in 1924 and completed his PhD studies in X-ray crystallography at the University of Glasgow before taking up a position with CSIRO in Melbourne in 1949. There he became expert in the construction and operation of mass spectrometers, mainly for the study of ion physics. In 1967, he became the Foundation Professor Physical Chemistry at the new La Trobe University in Melbourne where he continued his work in mass spectrometry but was also involved in university leadership that included a period as head of a residential college.Together with his students, he developed the use of compact, rapid-scanning quadrupole mass spectrometers, linking them in series to allow secondary studies (including photochemistry) of particular ions, but also taking advantage of the speed of the quadrupoles to link them to gas chromatographs for the study of mixtures of organic compounds. In all of this he was a pioneer in the use of computers with spectroscopic instruments. Internationally he was a recognized expert, speaking at conferences, establishing collaborations, and spending periods of leave at the University of Utah. After his retirement in 1990 he spent a long period as Emeritus Professor before his death in 2013.