Professor Thomas Aloysius ODonnell Onlinetributes.com.au

28.11.1923 – 21.2.2010
Scientist and Educator
Tom O’Donnell’s life was made up of three parts: his wife Pat and his
family, his Catholic faith, and Melbourne University – Tom had a deep
commitment to all three.  He was a research chemist of international
standing and a leader in his field.
Tom was born in Ballarat, a descendant of Irish immigrants.  Although his
paternal grandfather could not read or write, his father became Victorian
Director of the Commonwealth Department of Social Services.  During 1941
he was doing part time work in the Social Services Office when he met a
young Patricia Galvin (Pat). They were married at St Joseph’s Malvern in
February 1946 where his fellow chemistry research students formed a
guard-of-honour for the newlyweds using glass burettes.  The O’Donnells
set up their home in Ashburton and this remained the focal point for the
family for over 60 years.  He was never happier than entertaining family
and friends there.
Tom was educated at St Roch’s Glen Iris, St Columba’s Fitzroy and St
Kevin’s Toorak, where he matriculated in 1938.  While at St Kevin’s Tom
developed into a very good middle and long distance runner.  He twice won
the Melbourne University Mile and won the Victorian Five and Ten Mile
Cross Country Championships.
At Melbourne University Tom completed his BSc (1943), his MSc (1946) and
his PhD (1954).  In 1949, after a short time working at Shell and CSIRO,
Tom returned to his second home, the Chemistry School, Melbourne
University.  His last visit there was on December 8, 2009.
Tom was a superb lecturer, with the great gift of being able to project
his enthusiasm for chemistry to his students.  Promotion to Lecturer
(1951), Senior Lecturer (1957) and Reader (1963) was rapid.  He was
awarded a DSc in 1971. He was a Senior Fulbright Scholar and in 1968 he
shared the prestigious David Syme Prize for Scientific Research in
Australia.  In 1979 Tom was appointed to the Inorganic Chair and he
retired in 1988.
He was Head of the Chemistry School (1977-78) and Head of the Inorganic
Department (1982-86).  Tom was an active member of the Faculty of Science
and chaired the University Safety Committee for several years, lobbying
the University to put time and money into safety matters.  He was a
matriculation chemistry examiner and served on the Schools Board, the
Technical Colleges Board, the Council of RMIT in difficult years, the
Victorian Universities Admissions Committee and the Medley Hall Council.
Tom was a consultant to the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and a
member of the Commonwealth Government’s Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship
Committee and the Australian Research Grants Committee (1982-86).
Tom was an excellent researcher and supervisor, working at the bench
himself and able to enthuse his students.  Study leave at Cambridge in
1955 began Tom’s interest in the chemistry of fluorine.  It was from his
innovative experimental work with fluorine and its compounds that Tom and
the Melbourne Fluorine Group earned an international reputation.  Fluorine
is such a highly corrosive and potentially dangerous chemical that the
Chemistry Department decided to exile Tom and his research team to a
remote laboratory on the roof of the Chemistry building!  Tom then moved
on to even more difficult and hazardous projects, studying the chemistry
of species dissolved in liquid hydrogen fluoride, molten salts and
superacids.
Tom recognized the value of cooperative research.  He spent study leaves
at Cambridge, the Argonne Laboratory Chicago, McMaster University Toronto
and the Lawrence Laboratory Berkeley and international colleagues came to
work at Melbourne University with him.
In addition to the papers presented at scientific conferences and his many
original research publications, Tom authored (and co-authored) several
books.  With the late Professor Ron Brown, he produced three editions of
the Manual of Elementary Practical Chemistry (1955, 1957 & 1963).  In 1973
Tom was invited to contribute the chapter on fluorine in Comprehensive
Inorganic Chemistry.  He  wrote The Chemistry of Fluorine (1975) and
Superacids and Acidic Melts as Inorganic Chemistry Reaction Media (1992).
He also edited Reviews of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
After retirement, Tom was made Professor Emeritus and appointed an
Honorary Professorial Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering at Melbourne University.  He was also an Honorary Fellow in
the Department of Fine Arts.  For a second time a fluorine laboratory was
constructed on a roof, this time at the Chemical Engineering Department!
Professor David Wood, Tom and their team patented new processes for making
pigment grade titanium dioxide, cleaning spent potlining from aluminium
smelters, producing ultra clean coal and manufacturing titanium.  This
second period of productive chemical research spanned the last 20 years of
his life.
Coming full circle to his Ballarat roots, Tom was a consultant to the
University of Ballarat (1994-98) and a member of the University Council
(1998-2005).  His substantial service to that University was recognized by
the award of its first Honorary Doctorate.
Tom was at the centre of a group who reinvigorated Catholic education in
Victoria.  In 1963 he was invited to join the Catholic Education Advisory
Council by Melbourne Archbishop Simonds and he chaired the Academic
Subcommittee, wrestling with issues such as class size limits and improved
teacher training.  In 1973 he was the inaugural Chair of the Catholic
Education Commission of Victoria.
Tom was a deeply committed Catholic.  He was an active parishioner in the
parish of St Michael’s Ashburton from its earliest years and later a
Lector and Minister of the Eucharist, a member of the Diocesan Liturgical
Commission and of a local inter-faith Social Justice Group.  His quiet
generosity included regular donations of groceries for asylum seekers
through the Brigidine Convent in Albert Park.
Tom died peacefully in St Vincent’s Hospital on February 21.  Tom is
survived by his wife Pat, seven children, nine grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.


This tribute was compliled by Tom’s son Terry  and Valda McRae, one of
Tom’s research students and fellow staff member at Melbourne University
for over 40 years.