Larkin Kerwin

{{Short description|Canadian physicist (1924–2004)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Larkin Kerwin

|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CC|OQ|FRSC|size=100%}}

|image =

|alt =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|6|22}}

|birth_place = Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

|birth_name = John Larkin Kerwin

|death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|5|1|1924|6|22}}

|death_place = Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

|other_names =

|order = 1st

|title = President of the Canadian Space Agency

|term_start = March 1, 1989

|term_end = 1992

|predecessor = position established

|successor = Roland Doré

|governor_general = Jeanne Sauvé

|primeminister = Brian Mulroney

|occupation = Physicist

|awards = Order of Canada
National Order of Quebec

|spouse = Maria G. Turcot

|children = 8 children

}}

John Larkin Kerwin {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CC|OQ|FRSC}} (June 22, 1924 – May 1, 2004) was a Canadian physicist.

Born in Quebec City, he studied physics at St. Francis Xavier University and obtained his master's degree in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His received his D.Sc. from Université Laval. He was Chairman of the Department of Physics from 1961 to 1967. He was the first lay Rector of Université Laval, holding this position from 1972 to 1977.{{cite web|last1=O’Brien|first1=J.W.|title=Honorary Degree Citation - Larkin Kerwin|url=http://archives.concordia.ca/kerwin|website=Concordia University|access-date=18 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318020204/http://archives.concordia.ca/kerwin|archive-date=18 March 2015}}

From 1954 to 1955 he was the president of the Canadian Association of Physicists. From 1980 to 1989 he was President of the National Research Council of Canada* {{cite web | title=Remembering Former NRC President, Dr. Larkin Kerwin | work=National Research Council of Canada | url=http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/news/nrc/2004/05/07/kerwin.html | access-date=June 25, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611151636/http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/news/nrc/2004/05/07/kerwin.html | archive-date=June 11, 2011 }} and was the first president of the Canadian Space Agency and coined the term Canadarm. In 1982 he received the Gold Medal from the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. In 1987 he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada. In 1989 he was president of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Kerwin also served at an international level, he was president of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) from 1987–1990.{{cite book|last=Duckworth|first=Henry E.|title=One version of the facts: My life in the ivory tower|url={{Google books|EFqYGaKzhq8C|page=166|plainurl=yes}}|page=166}}

In 1976, he received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University, one of 15 from various universities.{{Cite web|url=http://archives.concordia.ca/kerwin|title=Honorary Degree Citation - Larkin Kerwin* {{!}} Concordia University Archives|website=archives.concordia.ca|access-date=2016-04-07}} In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1980. In 1988 he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was president from 1976 to 1977. He was made an Officer of the Légion d'honneur de France.

He died in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. He was married to Maria G. Turcot and had 8 children.{{cite web|url=http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=409&pg=3|title=Profile: (John) Larkin Kerwin|access-date=2012-07-16|publisher=science.ca}}