Tributes to Emeritus Professor Frank Fenner AC

Tributes to Emeritus Professor Frank Fenner AC continue to come in from politicians, members of the public, the science community and from around ANU. Professor Fenner passed away on Monday. To accommodate condolence messages and tributes, The John Curtin School of Medical Research have set up a condolence message board. Meanwhile, politicians from across the board have paid tribute to Professor Fenner. Prime Minister Julia Gillard, speaking in Parliament , paid tribute saying that Professor Fenner was a man of 'exceptional integrity, modesty and generosity of spirit' who "showed that Australians are capable of great things.' Opposition leader Tony Abbott also paid tribute , supporting the Prime Minister's remarks, and lamenting the 'passing of a truly great Australian. In fact, he was probably the finest Australian scientist not to have won a Nobel Prize,? said Mr Abbott. In the Senate, Senator Kim Carr , Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research moved a motion (page 53) that the senate 'notes the passing of scientist and scientific historian, advocate and philanthropist Professor Frank Fenner', acknowledged his immense contribution to Australian and world science and expressed condolences to Professor Fenner's family.