Article

Léo Edmond Marion

Published Online June 10, 2008

Last Edited December 16, 2013

Léo Edmond Marion, organic chemist, administrator, educator (b at Ottawa 22 Mar 1899; d there 16 July 1979). After studying at Queen's and McGill and spending a year at University of Vienna, Marion became R.H.F. MANSKE's assistant at the National Research Council Laboratories.

Léo Edmond Marion

Léo Edmond Marion, organic chemist, administrator, educator (b at Ottawa 22 Mar 1899; d there 16 July 1979). After studying at Queen's and McGill and spending a year at University of Vienna, Marion became R.H.F. MANSKE's assistant at the National Research Council Laboratories. When Manske left NRC in 1942, Marion became chief organic chemist. His dedication to basic research, and the support of E.W.R. STEACIE and C.J. MACKENZIE, enabled him to build an internationally recognized school of alkaloid chemistry. At the NRC he directed the pure chemistry division 1952-65 and acted as VP (scientific) 1963-65. He was president of the RSC, and editor in chief of the Canadian Journal of Research, and contributed to the early growth of the chemistry departments of the University de Montréal and Carleton, ending his career as dean of pure and applied science at Ottawa. He received an OBE, many honorary doctorates and awards.