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John Larkin Kerwin, CC, OQ, FRSC, physicist, research director (born 22 June 1924 in Quebec City, QC; died 1 May 2004 in Quebec City, QC). Larkin Kerwin is recognized for his leadership and his research in atomic and molecular physics (see Physics). During his career he was president of the National Research Council (NRC) and Canadian Space Agency.
Education and Career
Larkin Kerwin joined the Université Laval's physics department in 1946 after study at St. Francis Xavier University, the University of Toronto and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. After earning his DSc at the Université Laval, he rose to become its 20th rector in 1972. He was one of the first Quebecers to specialize in atomic physics, the first layman to become rector of the Université Laval, and the first Quebecer appointed president of the NRC from 1980 to 1989. He was also the first president of the Canadian Space Agency from 1989 to 1992.
At the NRC he prepared a 5-year expansion plan focused on industrial research and laid the foundations of a closer relationship between the NRC and the Cabinet.
Honours and Awards
In 1964, Larkin Kerwin was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In December 1987 he received the Outstanding Achievement Award, the highest award for federal public servants. Kerwin became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978 and was promoted to Companion in 1980. In 1988, he is designated an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec. He received the Légion d'Honneur de France in 1989.
