DR. R. M. BARRER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1938, Page 8

DR. R. M. BARRER

SUCCESSES AT CAMBRIDGE BRIEF VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND Dr R. M. Barrer. a son of Mr and Mrs T. R. Barrer, of Renall Street, Masterton. who has the honour of being one of the few New Zealanders to be a Don of the University of Cambridge arrived in Wellington yesterday from England. During the long vacation of the academic year, he is taking the opportunity of visiting his parents for the first time since he left New Zealand, six years ago, to embark on a brilliant scholastic and athletic career. Dr Barrer, a past pupil of the Wairarapa High School, graduated master of science at Canterbury College in 1931, with first-class honours. The same year he was first nominee of Canterbury College for a Rhodes Scholarship, but was unsuccessful. He was awarded a post-graduate scholarship in science, and carried out research at Canterbury College. In 1932 he was awarded the Charles Cooke Memorial Research Scholarship for mathematics and kindred subjects; and later the same year the Sir George Grey Scholarship, and finally the 1851 Exhibition Science Scholarship, granted to promising graduates of overseas universities to enable them to undertake two to three years of research work under conditions most likely to render them of service to the scientific progress of the British Empire. He left for Cambridge in September, 1932, and subsequently received the degree of D.Sc., from the University of New Zealand. At Cambridge he obtained the degree of doctor of philosophy, and was elected by the faculty of Clare College to the Denman Baynes Research Studentship. He was elected a member of the Ray Club, founded in 1837. The membership of this club, including associates, is limited to 18, selected from the world’s scientific research workers, There have only been two New Zealand members —Lord Rutherford and Dr Barrer. When he arrived at Wellington yesterday, Dr Barrer was wearing a pale sky-blue scarf —insignia of a full-blue of Cambridge University. He obtained his blue for cross-country running. In 1935 he won the Jubilee cross-country championship against Oxford, and also the combined universities cross-country championship. He is a member of a Cambridge Athletic Club, admission to which is conditional on the breaking of standard times. Dr Barrer had made a name for himself in long-distance running before leaving New Zealand, for he was Canterbury provincial cross-country champion and New Zealand University three-miles champion.