Background
Prance, Ghillean Tolmie was born on July 13, 1937 in Brandeston, Suffolk, England. Son of Basil Camden and Margaret Hope (Tolmie) Prance.
Botanist Botanical gardens administrator
Prance, Ghillean Tolmie was born on July 13, 1937 in Brandeston, Suffolk, England. Son of Basil Camden and Margaret Hope (Tolmie) Prance.
Bachelor, Oxford University, 1960. Doctor of Philosophy, Oxford University, 1963. Master of Arts, Oxford University, 1965.
Fil Dr (honorary), Goteborg University, 1983. Doctor of Science (honorary), Portsmouth University, 1994. Doctor of Science (honorary), University Kent, 1994.
Doctor of Science (honorary), Kingston University, 1994. Doctor of Science (honorary), St. Andrews University, 1995. Doctor of Science (honorary), Bergen University, 1996.
Doctor of Science (honorary), Sheffield University, 1997. Doctor of Science (honorary), Florida International University, 1997. Doctor of Science (honorary), City University of New York, 1998.
Doctor of Science (honorary), Liverpool University, 1998. Doctor of Science (honorary), Glasgow University, 1999. Doctor of Science (honorary), Plymouth University, 1999.
Doctor of Science (honorary), Keele University, 2000. Doctor of Science (honorary), Exeter University, 2000. Doctor of Science, Gloucestershire University, 2009.
Research assistant New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, 1963-1966, associate curator, 1966-1968, curator Amazonian botany, 1968-1975, director research, vice president, 1975-1981, senior vice president, director Institute Economic Botany, 1981-1988. Director Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, England, 1988-1999. Science director The Eden Project, since 1999.
McBryde professor National Tropical Botanical Garden, 2000—2002, McBryde senior fellow, since 2006. Adjunct professor City University of New York, New York City, l968-99. Visiting professor Yale University, New Haven, l983-88, Reading University, England, l988—.
Director graduate studies Institute Nac. Pesquisas Amazonia, Manaus, Brazil, l973-75.
Member White Plains Cable television Commission, New York, 1981-1988. Trustee Au Sable Institute Environ, Mancelona, Michigan, 1984-2006, Board Rainforest Alliance, 1988-1997, Margaret Mee Amazon Trust, Richmond, England, 1988-1996, Worldwide Fund for Nature International, 1989-1993, Horniman Museum, 1990-1999, Lovaine Trust Company Ltd., 1990-1999. Trustee, chairman Bentham Moxon Trust, Richmond, 1988-1999.
Chairman Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust, since 2000. Chairman Global Diversity Foundation, 2000-2009. Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science, Linnean Society London (president 1997-2000), Royal Geography Society (Patron's medal 1994), Institute Biology (president 2000-2002), Explorers Club, Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, Perak Academy, Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (honorary, president 1979-1980).
Member International Association Plant Taxonomists (president 1999-2005), Systematics Association (president 1988-1991), Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (foreign), Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (foreign), Brazilian Academy of Sciences (correspondent), Botanical Society of America (correspondent), Society Economic Botany (president 1996-1997, Distinguished Economic Botanist award 2002), British Ecological Society (honorary).
Married Anne Elizabeth Hay, July 13, 1961. Children: Rachel Julia, Sarah Elizabeth.