Background
Mr. Webster was born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, on May 25, 1925. The youngest of four children, he was a son of Albert Ashcroft (a coal miner) and Alice (a homemaker; maiden name, Street) Webster.
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1980
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1996
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2003
biologist educator mycologist writer
Mr. Webster was born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, on May 25, 1925. The youngest of four children, he was a son of Albert Ashcroft (a coal miner) and Alice (a homemaker; maiden name, Street) Webster.
John Webster was a student of University of London, from which he received his Bachelor of Science (with first class honors) in 1945, Doctor of Philosophy in 1954 and Doctor of Science in 1977.
Mr. Webster served as a researcher in mycology at University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, from 1945 to 1946. He was an assistant lecturer at University of Hull, Hull, England, between 1946 and 1948, lecturer in botany in 1948-1950. Then Mr. Webster joined the staff of University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, working as a lecturer, 1950-1959, senior lecturer, 1959-1965, and reader in botany, 1965-1969.
John Webster also held different positions at University of Exeter, Exeter, England: professor of biological sciences, 1969-1990, professor emeritus, since 1990, department head, 1969-1986. During 1972-1974 Mr. Webster was a member of Working Party on Terrestrial Microbiology of Natural Environment Research Council. In 1972-1977 he was known to be a member of board of management of Northcott Theatre. From 1979 till 1982 he was a member of plant sciences and microbiology subcommittee of Science and Engineering Research Council, Biological Sciences Committee.
Mr. Webster was a contributor of about two hundred articles to scientific journals, including Irish Naturalists’ Journal, Journal of Ecology, and Naturalist. Between 1987 and 1993 he was a member of editorial board, Nova Hedwigia.
John Webster is recognised for determining the physiological mechanism underpinning fungal spore release, though is probably best known by students of mycology for his influential textbook, Introduction to Fungi. He was a recipient of a number of awards, for example, in 2011 the British Mycological Society conferred on John Webster their President's Award in recognition of his broad contributions to mycology and to the Society over many decades.
Quotations: "I am a university teacher, and my motivation in writing books is to introduce students to fungi, what they do, and how they work. As a research worker, I have been interested in the taxonomy and ecology of fungi, and my research publications reflect these interests. My research has been motivated by a curiosity in collecting, finding, and culturing fungi. I feel the need to study living material firsthand before I am prepared to write about it, and I enjoy collecting fresh specimens from which I can prepare my own drawings and photographs. There is inevitably an interaction between teaching and research. I am inspired to write about the subjects I have chosen by a dissatisfaction with available texts."
vice president, 1977-1983; president, 1983-1990; honorary life president, since 1990
International Mycological Association , United Kingdom
Royal Society , United Kingdom
Institute of Biology , United Kingdom
honorary member; member of council, 1951-1958, 1967-1969, 1992-1997; president in 1969 and 1996
British Mycological Society , United Kingdom
British Association for the Advancement of Science , United Kingdom
member of council in 1979-1983
Freshwater Biological Association , United Kingdom
Mycological Society of America , United States
Asociacion Espanola de Especialistas en Micologia , Spain
chairperson of Mycological Committee, 1950, 1966-1968; member of executive committee, 1966-1969
Yorkshire Naturalists Union , United Kingdom
John Webster married Mary Elizabeth Bromhead on August 1, 1950. The couple had two children: Christopher Adam, Sarah Diana.
