51 Facts About Philip Baxter

Philip Baxter was the second director of the University of New South Wales from 1953, continuing as vice-chancellor when the position's title was changed in 1955.

Philip Baxter joined Imperial Chemical Industries as a chemical engineer, and became head of the Central Laboratory of its General Chemicals Division in Widnes, investigating the chemistry of chlorine and fluorine.

Philip Baxter was elected to the Widnes Municipal Council in 1939, a seat he held until 1949.

Philip Baxter was recruited by the then-New South Wales University of Technology as a professor of chemical engineering in 1949.

Philip Baxter became one of the most prolific public advocates of nuclear power for Australia.

Philip Baxter served as chairman of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission from 1957 to 1972 and the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1969 to 1970.

Philip Baxter oversaw the construction of the High Flux Australian Reactor at Lucas Heights.

Philip Baxter founded the National Institute of Dramatic Art, and, as the chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust, brought the Sydney Opera House to completion and opening on 20 October 1973.

John Philip Baxter was born in Machynlleth in Wales on 7 May 1905, the younger child of John Baxter and his wife Mary Netta Morton.

Philip Baxter's father was a telegraphist with the British General Post Office, as was his mother before her marriage.

Philip Baxter passed the Northern Universities Matriculation examination when he was 14, but found that this was too young to be admitted to a university.

Philip Baxter passed it again the following year, and then passed the University of London Matriculation examination the year after, when he was 16, after which he was permitted to enter the University of Birmingham.

Philip Baxter was interested in metallurgy and enrolled in a science course.

Philip Baxter earned his Bachelor of Science degree with first class honours in 1925, and his Master of Science the following year.

Philip Baxter personally received a number of patents for his work.

Philip Baxter became Research Manager of the General Chemicals Division in 1935.

Philip Baxter reorganised the Central Laboratory into seven sections, each with its own Assistant Research Manager, an organisational structure known as "Baxter and the seven dwarves", which was not generally considered a success at the time.

Philip Baxter was elected to the Widnes Municipal Council in 1939, a seat he held until 1949.

Philip Baxter was leader of the Conservative Party in the Council, and chairman of the local party organisation in the Widnes UK Parliament constituency.

In 1940, with Britain at war during the Second World War, Philip Baxter was approached by physicist James Chadwick, who asked if he could supply a sample of uranium hexafluoride.

Philip Baxter did so on a personal basis, using research money.

Philip Baxter became the personal assistant to the general manager, with responsibility for coordinating research, development and production activities.

Philip Baxter returned to Widnes as Research Director of the General Chemicals Division after the war ended in 1945.

Philip Baxter became a director of Thorium Ltd, a company half owned by ICI that was involved in the production of radioactive substances, and was a consultant to the British nuclear energy program.

Philip Baxter was personally responsible for the research and development that was the basis for the design of the Springfields uranium hexafluoride plant, and was a member of the committee that oversaw the construction of the chemical separation plant to extract plutonium.

Philip Baxter became dismayed at political and economic developments in the United Kingdom after the Conservatives lost office in 1945.

In 1949, Philip Baxter heard that the New South Wales University of Technology was looking for a professor of chemical engineering.

Philip Baxter became the head of a new School of Chemical Engineering that was created on his arrival, but he initially had only one full-time staff member as most of the instruction was carried out by part-time staff.

Philip Baxter hired full-time staff, and broadened the scope of the subjects taught and the research carried out.

Philip Baxter replaced the diploma-level with a new bachelor of science in chemical engineering degree, offering conversion courses to allow students to upgrade their diplomas to degrees.

Philip Baxter defeated Arthur Denning in an election for director in December, assuming the position on 1 January 1953.

Philip Baxter created a School of Nuclear Engineering in anticipation that a nuclear power industry would be established in Australia.

Philip Baxter created schools of Textile Technology, Wool Technology, Food Technology and Highway Engineering and Traffic Engineering.

Philip Baxter considered it wasteful when good students returned to academia after only a brief time working in industry, but even more so when they dropped out or failed their courses.

Philip Baxter walked out of a heated Staff Association meeting on the matter.

Philip Baxter had a preference for industry-style organisation, with clear lines of authority.

Philip Baxter did away with the election of deans by the faculty, replacing it with one in which deans were appointed by the University Council on his recommendation.

Philip Baxter worked part-time, spending Fridays at the AAEC until he retired from the UNSW in 1969.

Philip Baxter was the Australian member on the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency when it was created in 1957 and again from 1964 to 1972, serving as its chairman from 1969 to 1970.

Philip Baxter would have none of it; he wanted a "real reactor, not a low-power toy".

Philip Baxter prevailed; the government authorised a High Flux Australian Reactor.

Philip Baxter's proposals found a sympathetic ear in Prime Minister John Gorton, who approved plans to build a CANDU reactor at Jervis Bay in 1969.

Nailing his colours to the mast, Philip Baxter continued his advocacy.

Philip Baxter had been a member of the drama group in Stockton-on-Tees, and had performed on stage with University Drama Club at UNSW, sometimes with his daughter Valerie.

From 1969 to 1975, Philip Baxter was part-time and unpaid chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust.

Philip Baxter had recently retired from the UNSW, but the job was no sinecure.

Philip Baxter put the project under his unpopular but decisive grip, and brought the Sydney Opera House to completion and opening on 20 October 1973.

Philip Baxter was awarded honorary doctorates by the Universite de Montreal in 1958, the University of Newcastle in 1966, the University of Queensland in 1967, Loughborough University in 1970 and the UNSW in 1971.

Philip Baxter died in Haberfield on 5 September 1989, and his remains were cremated.

Philip Baxter was survived by three of his children; his wife Lilian had died on 27 July 1989, and his son Peter had died in a motor vehicle accident in the 1960s.

Philip Baxter's papers are in the archives at the University of New South Wales.