John Francis Bosher is an historian who has established a reputation in both Canada and Europe through his writings on eighteenth century France. His two books, "The Single Duty Project"1965) and "French Finances 1770-1795" (1970), and a large number of scholarly articles have opened up, in an imaginative and pioneering way, the study of the pre-revolutionary public administration of France. His research has been resourceful and thorough, his writing style elegant and his interpretation of the critical subject widely praised. His studies of the administration of New France and the relations between France and New France have been of great importance to students of Canadian history. Professor Bosher's international standing as an historian is testimony to the seriousness with which he approaches scholarship and the magnitude of his achievement.

Dr. Bourns has made many important contributions to chemistry and has acquired an international reputation in the field of physical-organic chemistry. He was one of the first in Canada to apply kinetic and equilibrium isotope effects in the elucidation of reaction mechanisms and is an international authority in this field. His publications are of a fundamental nature and represent important contributions to our understanding of organic reactions. He has been a regular participant in the annual symposium on reaction mechanisms held by the Organic Section of the American Chemical Society. In 1959-60 he was Vice-Chairman of the Gordon Research Conference on 'The Chemistry and Physics of Isotopes' and has been elected Chairman for the 1961-62 conference. Recently he was invited to convene and chair the symposium on physical organic chemistry to be held in June 1961 by the Royal Society of Canada. He receives many invitations to speak about his current researches from both Canadian and American institutions. Since he became Dean of the Graduate Faculty at McMaster University in 1957, he has not only made important research contributions of his own but has done much to encourage research in other departments of the university. He is a particularly strong candidate for fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada.

Dr. Bousfield has achieved world recognition as systematist and marine biogeographer, specializing in the Crustacea and Mollusca of the Canadian seaboard and of New England. He has greatly advanced the field of the 'new systematics' (combining taxonomy, ecology and paleontology), and he has extended his studies on a worldwide basis, particularly concerning the amphipods of the South Pacific including New Zealand. His interest in burrowing amphipods resulted in the discovery of the very large haustoriid complex endemic to the Atlantic coast. He has also done important work on the freshwater amphipods of glaciated North America and on the gammarids of the world. Additional research interests (1980 to present) include systematics of amphipod crustaceans of the Pacific Coast of Canada, biology of sea serpents of the Canadian Pacific region, and classification of Cambrian arthropods.