Russell Grimwade

{{Short description|Australian chemist, botanist, industrialist and philanthropist (1879–1955)}}

File:Calcium Hypochlorite Snakebite antidote by Felton Grimwade & Co.jpg

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Sir Wilfrid Russell Grimwade {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (15 October 1879 – 2 November 1955) was an Australian chemist, botanist, industrialist and philanthropist. He was the son of Frederick Sheppard Grimwade and brother of Harold Grimwade.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article240011644 |title=The Grimwades of Melbourne |newspaper=Smith's Weekly |volume=XXVIII |issue=38 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 November 1946 |accessdate=16 August 2018 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}

He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and The University of Melbourne, where he earned a B.Sc. in science. He then joined the family pharmaceutical firm Felton Grimwade & Company in 1903.

Over his career, he was director of Drug Houses of Australia, Australian Glass Manufacturers, Cuming Smith & Company, and chaired the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research as well as the National Gallery of Victoria. He donated £50,000 for a purpose-built facility to house the School of Biochemistry at The University of Melbourne, which bore his name from its construction in 1956 until its demolition in 2008.{{Cite web |title=Russell Grimwade School of Biochemistry |url=https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/nodes/view/506932 |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=University of Melbourne Archives}}

He was an honorary member of the British Medical Association, and served on the advisory council that established the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (now CSIRO), later sponsoring its forestry division. He also served on the advisory committee for the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and wrote An Anthology of the Eucalypts in 1920.{{Cite web |title=Sir Wilfrid Russell Grimwade CBE {{!}} Melbourne Grammar School |url=https://mgs.vic.edu.au/about/our-people/meet-our-alumni/sir-wilfrid-russell-grimwade-cbe |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=mgs.vic.edu.au}}

An endowment by Grimwade in 1929 was used to create the Russell Grimwade Prize, a scholarship for study of forestry. As of 2018, the annual prize value is $40,000.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article997221 |title=FORESTRY |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=3 |issue=419 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=13 February 1929 |accessdate=16 August 2018 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fwpa.com.au/14-scholarships-and-prizes/3-russell-grimwade-prize-worth-40-000.html | publisher=Forest and Wood Products Australia | title=Russell Grimwade Prize worth $40,000}} In 1934, he presented Cooks' Cottage to Victoria after purchasing it in England and shipping it to Australia.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35011609 |title=CAPTAIN COOK'S' COTTAGE HANDED OVER |newspaper=The Advertiser (Adelaide) |location=South Australia |date=16 October 1934 |accessdate=16 August 2018 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}}

He received a CBE in 1935 and was knighted in the 1950 King's Birthday Honours List.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71777817 |title=He 'melted' the air... |newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne) |location=Victoria, Australia |date=3 November 1955 |accessdate=16 August 2018 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article99098744 |title=AUSTRALIANS WHO WERE KNIGHTED |newspaper=Northern Star |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=8 June 1950 |accessdate=16 August 2018 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}