Background
Jack was born the sixth and youngest child of a coal miner, in Markinch, Fife, Scotland.
Jack was born the sixth and youngest child of a coal miner, in Markinch, Fife, Scotland.
He attended Buckhaven High School before turning down a place at Edinburgh University to become an apprentice pharmacist. In 1944, having completed his apprenticeship, he began a Bachelor of Science course in chemistry and pharmacy at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow.
He was head of research and development at Glaxo from 1978 until 1987. He turned down an offer to study for a doctorate and instead worked as an assistant lecturer at the University of Glasgow. In 1951 he joined the pharmaceutical company Glaxo Laboratories, moving to Smith Kline and French in 1953.
In 1961 he became director of research at Allen and Hanburys, a subsidiary of Glaxo, and served as Glaxo"s research and development director from 1978 until his official retirement in 1987.
Jack was known for heading a group which developed salbutamol, ranitidine, beclometasone, salmeterol, fluticasone propionate, ondansetron and sumatriptan.
Royal Society.
