George Deacon

Who was George Deacon?

Sir George Edward Raven Deacon FRS was a British oceanographer and chemist.

He was born in Leicester, the son of George Raven and Emma Deacon and educated at the Newarke school, Leicester. He went as a King's scholar to King's College London where he was awarded a first-class honours degree in chemistry in 1926 and a diploma of education in 1927.

His first post was as lecturer in chemistry and mathematics at Rochdale Technical School. In 1927 he was offered a place as a chemist on the Discovery Antarctic survey and sailed on Christmas Eve on the RRS William Scoresby, transferring in 1928 to the larger Discovery II. In 1937 he was awarded a Doctor of Science for the work by the University of London.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1944. His application citation read: "Since 1927 he has taken physical observations from HM Research Ship "Discovery II" and other vessels in all sections of the Antarctic Ocean, and has analysed and studied these observations.