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Record

CodePX239
Dates1903-1978
Person NameFraser; Francis Charles (1903-1978); Keeper of Zoology
SurnameFraser
ForenamesFrancis Charles
EpithetKeeper of Zoology
ActivityMuseum 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.
Source'DR F.C. Fraser Important work in Cetology at the Natural history Museum' in The Times 25/10/1978 – Newspaper cutting found in DF ZOO/208/93
Catalogue
RefNoTitleSource
DF/ZOO/206/28Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research: correspondence of F C Fraser 
DF/ZOO/208/51Staff file: Fraser, Francis C 
DF/ZOO/206/26Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research: Symposium on Antarctic Biology: correspondence of F C Fraser 
DF/ZOO/200/133/23Royal Society Symposium  
DF/ZOO/232/6/15/8/6Johnston, H H 
DF/ZOO/232/5/19/11/12Wentworth, Baroness 
DF/ZOO/206/27Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research: Symposium on Antarctic Biology: correspondence and papers of F C Fraser 
DF/ZOO/200/136/3Cave, Professor A J E 
DF/ADM/1005/33Fraser, Dr Francis C 
DF/ZOO/208/93Staff file: Fraser, Francis C 
DF/PH/2/6/7/6Staff Group Photograph: Judith Eveleigh King, Francis Fraser and Dr Hishiwaki, on the donation of Lissodelphis Borealis 
DF/PUB/516/7/30Stranded Whales and Turtles 
DF/ADM/1004/702/2Stranded Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) 
DF/PH/2/6/7/3Staff Group Photograph: Zoology Department 
DF/PAL/140/2/1Correspondence 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/3SF14 Remington Kellogg Delphinidae etc 
DF/PAL/131/1/136Royal Geographic Society Persian Gulf Expedition 
DF/PH/2/6/11Staff Group Photograph: Zoology Department 
DF/ZOOZoology  
DF/ZOO/238/5/117SF117 Dermestarium 
DF/PAL/140Anthropology Sub-Department Staff Correspondence and Papers 
DF/PAL/141Anthropology Sub-Department: Subject Files 
DF/PAL/140/2/2Correspondence 
DF/PAL/140/2/3Correspondence 
DF/ZOO/238/5/5SF5 Head. Iron age pit bones Bledlow 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/3SF14A C. G. Dixon Esq (E. J. Wagstaff Esq) St. Helena  
DF/ZOO/238/5/10SF10 Miss D. M. A. Bate  
DF/ZOO/238/5/19SF19 Transparent plastics 
DF/ZOO/238/5/4SF4 Griffin, F. J. (Royal Entomological Society) (Jenkins bibliography) 
DF/ZOO/238/5/12SF12 Tetley papers 
DF/ZOO/238/5/8SF8 Coastal Command 
DF/ZOO/238/5/29SF29 Jonah etc 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/4SF14A A. Loveridge St. Helena 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/20SF14A Dolphin collecting form 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/8SF14A Sir John Ellerman 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/10SF14A A. Fraser-Brunner Esq 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/13SF14A A. Webb Esq Nigeria 
DF/ZOO/238/5/30SF30 Zoo. Soc. [Zoological Society] 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/16SF14A Angus Taylor Sierra Leone 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/19SF14A Mrs O. Tattersall 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/29SF14A P. I. R. Maclaren Esq Nigeria 
DF/ZOO/238/5/36SF36 Ray Society  
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/7SF14A Bank statements  
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/22SF14A Dr. R. A. Falla 
DF/ZOO/238/5/28SF28 Harpoon gun 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/11SF14A Mrs Rowan Tristan da Cunha  
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/14SF14A Martin Routh  
DF/ZOO/238/5/38SF38 Zoo. Soc. [Zoological Society] 
DF/ZOO/238/5/53SF53 British Mammals  
DF/ZOO/238/5/20SF20 Macerating tank  
DF/ZOO/238/5/57SF57 Vacation students 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/17SF14A Rev Murdoch MacLeod 
DF/ZOO/238/5/2SF2 Council for British Archaeology, Natural Sciences Committee 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/9SF14A Dr J. F. G. Wheeler. Zanzibar 
DF/ZOO/238/5/7SF7 Linnean Society 
DF/ZOO/238/5/47SF47 Vacuum pump motor 
DF/ZOO/238/5/42SF42 Ambergris (I. L. N. article) 
DF/ZOO/238/5/58SF58 Bones from Tring 
DF/ZOO/238/5/39SF39 Trade  
DF/ZOO/238/5/45SF45 Trade 1938-1940 
DF/ZOO/238/5/63SF63 The Antarctic Club 
DF/ZOO/238/5/82SF82 Institute of Biology 
DF/ZOO/238/5/76SF76 Pine Martens  
DF/ZOO/238/5/83SF83 Okapi (Buta) and Panda (Lien Ho) from Zoo 
DF/ZOO/238/5/79SF79 Weights of animals  
DF/ZOO/238/5/88SF88 Soc for the Bibliography of Natural History 
DF/ZOO/238/5/103/2SF103 Thorn E. (Whale Hall)  
DF/ZOO/238/5/115SF115 International Zoological Congress London 1958 
DF/ZOO/238/5/105SF105 Royal Fish 
DF/ZOO/238/5/111SF111 National Institute of Oceanography  
DF/ZOO/238/5/103/1SF103 Exhibition and exhibits and Whale Hall  
DF/ZOO/238/5/31SF31 P. Deraniyagala Ceylon 1936 
DF/ZOO/238/5/44SF44 Photographic letters 
DF/ZOO/238/5/62SF62 The Director 
DF/ZOO/238/5/119SF119 Loans 
DF/ZOO/238/5/109SF109 Stranded whale report 1938-1947 
DF/ZOO/238/5/100/1SF100 I. P. C. S.  
DF/ZOO/238/5/134SF134 Seals R. W. Vaughan 
DF/ZOO/238/5/102SF102 Observations on whales from ships  
DF/ZOO/238/5/110SF110 Laws seal collection  
DF/ZOO/238/5/96SF96 Danish Deep Sea expedition  
DF/ZOO/238/5/91SF91 Sea Lions 
DF/ZOO/238/5/87SF87 Galvanised iron baskets Messrs G. F. E. Bartlett 
DF/ZOO/238/5/35SF35 British Assn. [Association] 
DF/ZOO/238/5/114SF114 Hearing in Cetaceans F. C. Fraser and P. E. Purves 
DF/ZOO/238/5/64SF64 Calculating machine Muldivo-Britannic  
DF/ZOO/238/5/50SF50 Manihine 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/23SF14A Dr Haas 
DF/ZOO/238/5/22SF22 Aberdaron Bay collecting  
DF/ZOO/238/5/21SF21 Cetacean and turtle pamphlet (Stranded whales and turtles pamphlet) 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/5SF14A Vorley Harris Esq Black Sea coast of Turkey  
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/6SF14A Dominica - H. A. L. Francis. St. Lucia - C. M. S. Cadet. Dolphin collecting  
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/15SF14A V. T. Hinds Berbera later Aden 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/18SF14A Dolphin collecting, China seas. W. J. Stuttard Esq. 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/21SF14A Dr C. F. Hickling 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/25SF14A Surgeon Lt. J. E. Fay RN Dolphin collecting  
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/26SF14A Indian Ocean Trading Co 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/27SF14A Dr E. Edwards Gold Coast 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/28SF14A Prof. Spaerck Denmark 
DF/ZOO/238/5/126SF126 British Antarctic Survey 
DF/ZOO/238/5/131SF131 Labels for photographs in Whale Hall 
DF/ZOO/238/5/122SF122 F. A. O. whale paper 
DF/ZOO/238/5/174SF174 Tyson's pygmy 
DF/ZOO/238/5/89SF89 Persepex dishes 
DF/ZOO/238/5/132SF132 Marine Biol. Assn. Council 
DF/ZOO/238/5/135SF135 Dr. J. R. Olive Atlantic Cetacean collecting 
DF/ZOO/238/5/72SF72 Fluorine analysis of bone  
DF/ZOO/238/5/124SF124 Thames - Cetacea in - Rights to Fishes Royal 
DF/ZOO/238/5/33SF33 British Council. Staff Ass. [Association] matters 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/4SF14 J. Chaworth Musters 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/10SF14 Major Thompson Delphinidae Red Sea 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/9SF14 Cdr Thornton Dolphin collecting (Trincomalee) 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/6SF14 T. J. Hart Delphinidae correspondence 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/11SF14 Wheeler, J. F. G. Delphinidae - Mauritius 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/8SF14 Delphinidae Dr. Vaughan Mauritius 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/14SF14 Lockley Delphinidae 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/1SF14 Dr L. Harrison Matthews Delphinidae etc 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/1/2SF14 Colin Bertram Delphinidae correspondence 
DF/ZOO/238/5/73SF73 Okapi papers 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/2SF14A Major N. V. L. Rybot Jersey 
DF/ZOO/239/3/4/7Fox, Lady Aileen: archaeological bones from Exeter (GL 1947/44) 
DF/ZOO/239/3/4/6Scott, Sir W Lindsay: archaeological bones from North Uist (GL 1947/28) 
DF/ZOO/239/3/4/10Innes, RT: leather from peat bog, Soay (GL 1947/52) 
DF/ZOO/239/3/4/17Hardy, Prof: Rhinoceros simus (GL 1947/93) 
DF/ZOO/239/3/6/12Taylor, Brian Hope-: Romano-British bones for identification (GL 1949/67) 
DF/ZOO/239/3/6/30Elton, C: field voles (GL 1949/129) 
DF/ZOO/239/4/2/2/1Gibbings, Robert: origin of quotation about whale (GL 1945/1) 
DF/ZOO/239/4/2/4/4Berry, J Allan: fossil dolphin vertebrae (GL 1947/11) 
DF/ZOO/239/4/2/4/20FIDS [Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey] (GL 1947/98) 
DF/ZOO/239/4/2/4/3Bertram, Colin: William Scoresby letters (GL 1947/9) 
DF/ZOO/239/4/2/7/13Calman, WT: Byron bones (GL 1950/28) 
DF/ZOO/239/4/2/12/36Nature: 'blow' of whales (GL 1955/48) 
DF/ZOO/239/4/2/12/22Royal Society: exhibit - whale ear (GL 1955/31) 
DF/ZOO/238/5/14/2/12SF14A Dr K. Barnard Cape Town 
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