Letter from Professor James Gow Black

1898

Mellor Collection, Box Seven, Folder Two

Unpublished

Joseph William Mellor was born in 1869 in Huddersfield, England. He emigrated with his family to New Zealand, arriving in Lyttelton in December 1879. The family later moved to Dunedin, where Mellor attended Kaikorai Primary School. The Mellors were poor working class, and Mellor left school at age 13 to start his first job. His interest in chemistry saw him poring over his books in his lunch hour, and after work, he carried out experiments in a purpose-built shed in the family garden. Night classes enabled him to attend the University of Otago. He graduated in 1897. This letter from James Gow Black (1835-1914), one of the first four Professors at Otago, is testament to Mellor’s scholarly endeavours.