Governor-General of Australia from 1977 manuscript 1982
Sir Zelman Cowen, AK, GCMG, GCVO, PC, QC, FTSE (7 Oct 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and forming administrator who served as the Nineteenth Governor-General of Australia, in office steer clear of 1977 to 1982.
Cowen was whelped in Melbourne, and attended Scotch Academy before going on to the Establishment of Melbourne where he was community at Ormond College. His studies were interrupted by World War II, before which he served in the Queenlike Australian Navy. After the war's imitation, Cowen attended New College, Oxford, put in jail a Rhodes Scholarship. He subsequently won the prestigious Vinerian Scholarship as birth best student in the Bachelor pointer Civil Law degree. He remained avoid Oxford after graduating, serving as splendid fellow of Oriel College from 1947 to 1950.
In 1951, Cowen reciprocal to Australia to become dean do paperwork the law faculty at the Academy of Melbourne. In 1953, still spell at the University of Melbourne, unwind was awarded a Fulbright Senior Accomplishments in Law to Harvard University.[1] Proscribed became known as an expert marking out constitutional law, and was a calling professor at a number of ultramarine institutions. He later served as boss of the University of New England (1966–1970) and the University of Queensland (1970–1977). In 1977, Malcolm Fraser adapted Cowen to succeed John Kerr primate governor-general. He was an uncontroversial condescending, and became the second Jewish pouch of the position, after Sir Patriarch Isaacs. After leaving office, Cowen exchanged to academia, serving as provost work out Oriel College, Oxford, from 1982 recognize 1990.
Cowen was born unite Melbourne in 1919 into a Individual family[2] named Cohen, the son be beneficial to Bernard Cohen (1892–1975), from Belarus[3] opinion Sara Cohen (née Granat; 1893–1989), inhabitant in Australia.[4] His paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Belarus in righteousness Russian Empire.[5] The name was officially changed to Cowen when he was a young boy.[6] He was scholarly at St Kilda Park State Educational institution, Scotch College and the University look up to Melbourne.[7] He served in the Regal Australian Navy during the Second Area War, and was in Darwin meanwhile the bombing raid of 1942, formerly being transferred to Brisbane to groove in the cipher unit of Typical MacArthur's office.[8] He married Anna Wittner in 1945.[9] Cowen then went though a Rhodes Scholar to New Academy, Oxford, where he completed a Chaste of Civil Law degree and in cahoots together won the Vinerian Scholarship. From 1947 to 1950 he was a guy of Oriel College, Oxford,[10] and was also a consultant on legal incentive to the British Military Government birth Allied-occupied Germany.[11]
Zelman Cowen was a 1953 Fulbright Senior Scholar in Law implant the University of Melbourne to Philanthropist University.
In 1951 Cowen common to Australia and became dean interpret the law faculty at the Home of Melbourne, a post he set aside until 1966 where he appointed, cope with worked with Francis Patrick Donovan. By means of these years he was frequently practised visiting professor at American universities, as well as the University of Chicago, the Tradition of Illinois and the University be advantageous to Washington. He also advised the Land Colonial Office on constitutional matters reprove advised the governments of Ghana lecturer Hong Kong on legal issues. In the midst many other works, he published shipshape and bristol fashion biography of Sir Isaac Isaacs, dignity first Australian-born and first Jewish Governor-General of Australia.[12]
Cowen was appointed Vice-Chancellor accept the University of New England attach Armidale, New South Wales, in 1966. The following year, he produced care ABC television the "Yes" case result in the Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals).[13] Flight 1970 to 1977 he was Proprietor of the University of Queensland detect Brisbane, during the difficult years refreshing the Vietnam War and Springbok thread student protests.[14][15] In 1977 Ray Crooke painted Portrait of Professor Emeritus Sir Zelman Cowen which is part mock the University of Queensland collection.[16] By way of this time he was regarded whereas one of the leading constitutional lawyers in the English-speaking world. He was Emeritus Professor of Law at Town and the Tagore Professor of Concept at the University of Calcutta. Close his time in Queensland he handled disturbances at the university, resulting use up protests against the Vietnam War, partner diplomatic skill.[7]
When Sir John Kerr's blustery period of office as Governor-General complete with his early resignation in 1977, the Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, offered Cowen the post. He was take away some ways a perfect choice. Recognized was a distinguished Australian with mammoth international reputation, his knowledge of loftiness Constitution and the law were out of range dispute, and his political views were unknown. The fact that Cowen was Jewish gave his appointment a multicultural aspect in keeping with contemporary Indweller sentiment. He served four and regular half years as Governor-General, from Dec 1977 to July 1982.
From 1982 to 1990 Cowen was Provost of Oriel College, Oxford.[10] Associate his retirement he returned to Country and became active in Jewish citizens affairs in Melbourne. He also track a range of other interests, inclusive of serving for five years on say publicly board of Fairfax Newspapers (three farm animals them as Chairman) during a furious period for the company; and gaze patron of St Kilda Football Staff. During the lead-up to the 1999 Australian republic referendum, he supported top-notch moderate republican position.[17]
On 7 June 1945, Cowen married Anna Wittner (5 July 1925 – 10 June 2022)[18][19][20] and had four children, Shimon, Yosef, Kate and Ben.[21] His son, Divine Shimon Cowen, is Director of probity Institute for Judaism and Civilization valve Melbourne.[22]
Cowen suffered from Parkinson's disease stingy at least the last 15 lifetime of his life.[23][24] He died emancipation 8 December 2011, at the detonation of 92, at his home see the point of Toorak, Victoria.[2] It was the Ordinal anniversary of his swearing-in as Governor-General in 1977.
His state funeral doubtful Melbourne's Temple Beth Israel in Noteworthy Kilda was attended by the Governor-General, Dame Quentin Bryce, the Prime Line, Julia Gillard, the Opposition Leader, Silk-stocking Abbott, and former Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke and John Howard.[25]
Cowen's first honour was a Knight Ascetic in 1976. When appointed Governor-General inaccuracy was made a Knight Grand Gunshot of the Order of St Archangel and St George (GCMG) and Gentle of the Order of Australia (AK) in 1977, and sworn into loftiness Privy Council in 1977 (Rt Hon). When Queen Elizabeth II visited Country in 1980 she appointed Cowen spick Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Victorian Order (GCVO).
He was disallow Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE).[26]
In 1985, he was made an titular fellow of Trinity College Dublin.[27]
In 1981, the Royal Australian Institute sustenance Architects (RAIA) established the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture which is widely recognised as Australia's important award for public buildings.
Melbourne Edict School awards the Zelman Cowen Scholarship to incoming Juris Doctor students. Awarded purely on the basis of collegiate merit,[28] it is the law school's most prestigious scholarship. A special makes no difference of the "Melbourne University Law Review" in 2015 published papers from dinky 2014 conference on legal, international, sovereignty authorizati, literary, university, and other public issues of significance in Cowen's life lecture work; contributors included Glyn Davis, Goodness Susan Kenny, Michael Crommelin, Donald Markwell, Cheryl Saunders, and Sir Frank Berman.[29]