David Ogilvie White- Medical Virologist
1931- 2004
Professor Emeritus David Ogilvie White was one of Australia’s most distinguished medical virologists. He was Professor of Microbiology, University of Melbourne, 1967-1994 and was Head of Department of Microbiology for 14 of those years. David filled other high-level appointments in the university, including Assistant Dean of Medicine (Preclinical), 1971-82; Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, 1974-75; Chairman, Academic Board, 1977-1978; and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, 1975-78.
David was born in Canberra, the son of Harold White and Elizabeth Wilson. He was educated at Canberra High School. During his early years there were signs of the eclectic brilliance that characterized his life. As a teenager he was Canberra Open Chess Champion, and he co-authored a significant work on the birds of Canberra and district, presaging his lifelong interest in ornithology.
David graduated in medicine from the University of Sydney in 1954 and completed a PhD in virology at the Australian National University. For his PhD, he devised new ways to work with influenza virus in the laboratory, and influenza virus became the central focus of the research he did throughout his life. He made major contributions to the molecular biology and immunology of influenza virus. He supervised 37 BSc Honours and 20 PhD students and attracted a series of outstanding postdoctoral fellows and visitors to his laboratory, and with them published more than 100 original research papers.
David authored six major books on virology including co-authorship
with Frank Fenner of Medical Virology through four editions, each of
which was widely used in medical schools around the world and was variously
translated into Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese and Russian. With
Frank Fenner and veterinary colleagues he coauthored two editions of
'Veterinary Virology', which in an international review was recommended
as "the text of choice for the teaching of veterinary virology".
He was an editor of the international journal Archives of Virology and
served on the editorial boards of several other international journals.
David received many accolades and honours including an Officer of the
Order of Australia (1992), honorary life membership of the Australian
Society for Microbiology (1992), an honorary MD (Melbourne, 1994), the
Ivanovsky Medal, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (1996), honorary
life membership of the Australasian Society for Immunology (1996), and
the ASM Distinguished Teaching Award (1998); later renamed the David
White Excellence in Teaching Award.
David held executive positions on several national and international professional societies. He was Foundation President of the Cell Biology Society of Australia (1962-64); President of the Microbiology and Immunology Section of ANZAAS (1971); Chairman of the Organising Committee of the International Conference on Viral Diseases in S.E. Asia & Western Pacific, (1982); a member of the Advisory Council, Virology Division, International Union of Microbiological Societies (1984-90); Chairman, Australian Academy of Science National Committee for Microbiology (1988-93); President, Australian Society for Microbiology (1988-90); Deputy Chair, International Congress of Virology (1999), and a member of numerous other organising and advisory committees.
David had lifelong interests in ornithology, camping, exploration and wilderness. He was a Life Member Australian Conservation Foundation, Life Member Bird Observers Club of Australia. He was Grand Master Australian Bridge Federation, several times Victorian bridge champion, and an Australian pairs champion.
David retired for medical reasons in 1994, and died peacefully after an 11-year battle with a rare liver disease. David was an extraordinarily humble and self-effacing person. Throughout his professional life, David voluntarily took on an enormous workload, not for self-aggrandizement or personal gain but in the firm belief that he could make a difference. In this regard, as with most things, he was almost always right. Most of all, those who were privileged to know him shall remember his warm, constant and lively friendship.
This obituary was prepared by Roy Robins-Browne, Michael Studdert and Alison White