Frank Stanley Cotton was born on 30 April 1890 at Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales. He was the son of Australian politician Francis Cotton (1857-1942), and brother of Shackleton expeditioner and geology professor, Leo Arthur Cotton (1883-1963).
He attended Sydney Boys High School in 1904-1908. In 1917, Frank married Catherine Drummond Smith, a geology demonstrator who taught at the University of Sydney. Anti-Gravity Suit
In 1940, whilst at the University of Sydney, Professor Cotton invented the "Cotton aerodynamic anti-G flying suit" (G-suit), which prevented pilots from blacking out when making high speed turns or pulling out of a dive.
This was used extensively by pilots in the Allied air forces during World World War World War II Ergometer
Cotton was also responsible for the ergometer, a machine to test the athletic potential of sportsmen and women.
Cotton claimed through this machine to have discovered the swimmers Jon Henricks and Judy-Joy Davies. The Australian swimming coach, Forbes Carlile, began his career as an assistant to Cotton.
On 23 August 1955, Frank Cotton died at Hornsby, New South Wales.
