15 Facts About John Cornforth

John Cornforth was raised in Sydney as well as Armidale, in the north of New South Wales, where he undertook primary school education.

At about 10 years old, John Cornforth had noted signs of deafness, which led to a diagnosis of otosclerosis, a disease of the middle ear which causes progressive hearing loss.

John Cornforth was educated at Sydney Boys' High School, where he excelled academically, passed tests in English, mathematics, science, French, Greek, and Latin, and was inspired by his chemistry teacher, Leonard Basser, to change his career directions from law to chemistry.

John Cornforth graduated as the dux of the class of 1933 at Sydney Boys' High School, at the age of 16.

In 1934, John Cornforth matriculated and studied at the University of Sydney, where he studied organic chemistry at the University of Sydney's School of Chemistry and from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science with First-Class Honours and the University Medal in 1937.

At the University of Oxford, Harradence was a member of Somerville College while John Cornforth was at St Catherine's College and they worked with Sir Robert Robinson, with whom they collaborated for 14 years.

At the NIMR, John Cornforth collaborated with numerous biological scientists, including George Popjak, with whom he shared an interest in cholesterol.

In 1975, John Cornforth was awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, alongside Vladimir Prelog.

John Cornforth remained there as a professor and was active in research until his death.

John Cornforth had met Harradence after she had broken a Claisen flask in their second year at the University of Sydney; John Cornforth, with his expertise of glassblowing and the use of a blowpipe, mended the break.

Rita John Cornforth died on 6 November 2012, at home with her family around her, following a long illness.

John Cornforth is survived by his three children and four grandchildren.

John Cornforth was named the Australian of the Year in 1975, jointly with Maj.

In 1977, John Cornforth was recognised by his alma mater, the University of Sydney, with the award of an honorary Doctor of Science.

John Cornforth was the first to attribute the correct constitution to penicillamine and to synthesise the amino-acid.