Sir John Percival Vissing Madsen [1879-1969]

By Helen WolffJanuary 27th, 2021

Sir John Madsen helped pioneer Australian radio and radar research and played a major role in the development of national engineering standards.

Early life

Influenced by his Danish father, Hans Frandsen Madsen, surveyor with NSW Lands Dept & pioneer telescope maker in the colony who lived at Newtown.

Attended Darlington Public School (1884-1891) & Sydney Boys High School (Ultimo) & was Dux in 1896. At Sydney University (1897-1900) was the first student in an Australian University to concurrently complete the double degrees in Science & Engineering. At High School he was very good at Mathematics & won the Sydney University Medal for Geometry on matriculation.

On graduation was appointed by Prof W H Bragg at Adelaide University as Lecturer in Physics & Mathematics for 2 years & on being offered the position of founding Lecturer in Electrical Engineering at the University from 1903, undertook at his own expense a study tour of approximately 5 months to the US & UK looking into teaching at Universities & Technical Colleges to become familiar with methods for a first class Electrical Engineering Department. Between 1905 & 1908 collaborated with W H Bragg doing pioneering research using radioactive materials in line with researches by Ernest Rutherford.

Tertiary education and early career

At Sydney University graduated with first class honours in Maths, Physics & Engineering & University Medals on graduation with the double degrees (which he was to encourage for the best of his students to do throughout his long teaching career) in Science & Engineering in 1900 & 1901.In 1907 he was awarded a DSc degree by Adelaide University based on a thesis involving ionisation in gases remaining after removal of the ionising agent.

Madsen returned to Sydney University in 1909 as Lecturer in Electrical Engineering to become the first & only Professor of Electrical Engineering in any Australian University in the period 1920-1946.

Time at CSIRO

Madsen’s time at CSIRO spanned the period 1927-1963 in a number of pioneering roles, especially Radio Research & National Standards. These roles involved being Chairman of Boards & committees whilst still being paid by Sydney University except in 1941 when he undertook the role of Director of Scientific Liaison for Australia Overseas (in particular the Washington position of Scientific Liaison Officer which he established) & was paid a salary by CSIR.

Madsen arranged for the construction of the National Standards Laboratory in late 1939 in the grounds of Sydney University which was expanded shortly after to accommodate the Radiophysics Laboratory to undertake secret RDF/Radar work during the war & was used for a further 20 years post war by RPL & until 1977 by the NSL before moving to a much bigger National Measurement Laboratory in Lindfield. The role of Scientific Liaison Officer in Washington continues to this day (also in London). The University has named the former NSL Building the “Madsen Building” & is currently used by GeoScience.

In August 1951 Madsen chaired the first computing conference in Australia introducing CSIRAC in conjunction with analogue computing being done at Sydney University. In 1946 with David Rivett he attended the Commonwealth Science Conference in London.

Career highlights at other organisations

As indicated, Madsen’s working career was with Adelaide & Sydney Universities, but on retirement from the University he became a Director of Philips Australia (1948-1963) & between 1948-1950 was Chairman of NATA.

At Sydney University he was Dean of the Faculty of Science (1942-49) & Chairman of the Professorial Board (1947-49).

In 1952 the URSI Conference was held in Sydney at which Madsen was the President for the Australian Organising Committee. This was the first time URSI had held its conference outside of Europe & North America & its success in displaying the pioneering RPL advances in Radio Astronomy was recognised at the international level.

Awards and honours

Engineers Australia have an award “The John Madsen Medal” for its Electrical Section & ATERB (Australian Telecommunications & Electronic Research Board-formerly the Radio Research Board) during its existence also had a “Madsen Medal”.

Madsen was awarded University Medals in Maths & Civil Engineering by the University of Sydney.

Source

Madsen, Roger, 2020, Personal communication.