Background
McNeill, John was born on September 15, 1933 in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. Son of Thomas and Helen Lawrie (Eagle) McNeill.
McNeill, John was born on September 15, 1933 in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. Son of Thomas and Helen Lawrie (Eagle) McNeill.
Bachelor of Science with honors, University Edinburgh, 1955. Doctor of Philosophy, University Edinburgh, 1960.
Assistant lecturer department agricultural botany, U. Reading, England, 1957-1960;
lecturer agricultural botany, U. Reading, England, 1960-1961;
lecturer department botany, U. Liverpool, England, 1961-1969;
research scientist, Plant Research Institute Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1969-1977;
senior research scientist, Biosystematics Research Institute Agriculture, Ottawa, 1977-1981;
professor department biology, U. Ottawa, 1981-1987;
regius keeper, Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh, 1987-1989;
associate director, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1989-1990;
acting director, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1990-1991;
director, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1991-1997;
director emeritus, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, since 1997;
professor department botany, U. Toronto, since 1991. Curator herbarium U. Liverpool, 1964-1969, deputy senior tutor faculty science,1967-1969. Visiting associate professor department botany U. Washington, Seattle, 1969.
Acting associate professor department population and environmental biology University of California, Irvine, 1969. Chief taxonomy and economics botany section Plant Research Institute Agriculture, Ottawa, 1969-1973. Sessional lecturer department biology U. Ottawa, 1977, department chairman biology, 1981-1987, member of faculty science teaching personnel committee, 1987, member university research committee, 1986-1987, member university advising committee on computing, 1984-1987, member school graduate studies, Adjunct Professor, 1987-1991.
Visiting professor department botany U. Toronto, 1978. Adjunct Professor department biology Carleton U., 1973-1979. Honorary professor department botany U. Edinburgh, 1989, honorary fellow facultysci., 1988-1989.
Director George R. Gardiner Museum Ceramic Art, Toronto, 1991-1996. President Royal Ontario Museum Foundation, 1992-1997. Presenter in field.
Vice president XVI International Botanical Congress, St. Louis, 1999, rapporteur-general for botanical nomenclature, since 1999. Fellow Linnean Society London. Member American Society Plant Taxonomists, Biological Council Canada (vice president 1984-1985, vice president, president-elect 1985-1986, president 1986-1987), Canada Council University Biology Chairman (vice president 1982-1984, president 1984-1985, past president 1985-1986), Botanical Society British Isles, Botanical Society Edinburgh (vice president 1987-1989), Canada Botanical Association (chairman systematics and phytogeography section 1981-1983, director 1995-2000), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada (population biology grant selection committee 1981-1984), Classification Society, Hennig Society, Hunt Institute Botanical Documentation, International Union Biological Sciences (voting member executive 1985-1988, alternate member executive 1991-1994), International Association Botanical and Mycological Societies (secretary 1986-1993, chairman 1993-1999), International Union Biological Sciences, International Union Microbiol.
Societies (international committee for bionomenclature since 1994), International Association Plant Taxonomy (member council 1981-1987, 93—, administrator finance 1987-1993), International Congress Systematic and Evolutionary Biology (international committee 1980-1990), International Organization Plant Biosystematists (member council 1989-1992), International Organization for Plant Information (vice-chairman 1993-1996, chairman 1996-2000), International Organization for Systematics and Evolutionary Biology (treasurer since 1996), Annales Botanici Fennici (advisory board 1987-1992), Acta Botanica Fennica (advisory board 1987-1992), International Association Botanical Gardens, International Weed Science Society, Organization for Phyto-Taxonomic Investigation of Mediterranean Area (board directors 1989-2001), Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, Royal Horticultural Society, Society Systematic Biology, Systematics Association (member council 1959-1962, 64-66, general secretary 1966-1969), Ottawa Field Naturalists Club, Scottish Rock Garden Club.
Married Bridget Mariel Winterton, July 29, 1961 (divorced 1990). Children: Andrew Thomas, Douglas Paul. Married Marilyn Lois James, April 6, 1990.