| Activity | Museum Staff. Appointed Assistant Keeper in Department of Zoology 1933; Keeper of Zoology 1957-1964; retired 1969.
Francis Charles Fraser was born on 16 June 1903 to parents James and Barbara Ann Fraser of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Educated at Dingwall Academy and the University of Glasgow (2nd class hons BSc in Zoology, 1924). Following this, he became a demonstrator at the University of Glasgow's Department of Geology. Biologist for Discovery Committee 1925-1933 in the Antartic, during this time, his studies were mainly concerned with plankton, and especially krill.
In 1933, Fraser joined the Natural History Museum as Assistant Keeper in the Department of Zoology. He was responsible for the 1938 installation of the blue whale model in the museum's whale hall. Fraser became Deputy Keeper of the Department of Zoology in 1948. He became Keeper of the department in 1957. In 1964, he stepped down from the position of Keeper, to devote his time to research. Fraser retired in 1969 but continued to visit the Museum and continue his research, as a Scientific Associate.
During the Second World War, he took leave from NHM to work for the Admiralty. He also joined the Danish ‘Alantide’ Expedition to the Tropical Eastern Atalntic (1945-1946).
Fraser was awarded the Polar Medal in 1942, made CBE in 1962, and made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1966. He was Fellow of the Zoological Society of London and served as the society’s Vice-President from 1965-1967.
Fraser's dolphin and Fraser Point are named in his honour. |