Leslie William Mapson, 1907-1970

Abstract Leslie William Mapson was head of the Plant Biochemistry Division of the Food Research Institute at Norwich. A career of intensive scientific research came to an end far too early. The Institute at Norwich only recently had been started by the Agricultural Research Council under the directorship of Sidney Elsden. It originated from a part of the Low Temperature Research Station in Cambridge. One of the firmly held ideas of W. B. Hardy at the original foundation was that the Station at Cambridge should operate in close association with the University. At Norwich this idea had been in a sense realized as Mapson had been made Hon. Professor in the University of East Anglia in 1969. In the earlier days in Cambridge Hardy was able to have the co-operation of both F. F. Blackman and the Hon. Mrs Onslow. They were concerned with the physiology and biochemistry of plant respiration in relation to the storage of fruit and vegetables. This work was continued by many others including Mapson until the ending of the Low Temperature Research Station in Cambridge and the transfer of that part of its activities to Norwich. The loss of his guiding spirit and his keen personality with his ingenious approach so soon after the transfer to Norwich was a tragedy for all concerned. He was twice married, firstly to Muriel Dodds in 1932 and there was one son who did not survive to manhood; secondly to Dorothy Lilian Waldock (née Pell) and they have one daughter, Elizabeth, who is entering the medical profession. For many years they lived in the village of Hauxton, Cambridgeshire, and they had a most happy home. They were active members of the Church community in that village where he was much respected. Also he was a governor of the Melbourne Village College from its foundation.