Campbell Percy McMeekan
New Zealand university professor, agricultural scientist and administrator
About Campbell Percy McMeekan
Lived 1908 – 1972 (aged 63). Campbell Percy McMeekan was a New Zealand academic.
Campbell Percy "Mac" McMeekan (29 July 1908 – 2 July 1972) was a New Zealand university professor, agricultural scientist and administrator.
McMeekan was born in Otaki, New Zealand, in 1908. He received his secondary education at Midhirst School and then at New Plymouth Boys' High School. He had further training at Stratford Technical High School before starting at Victoria University College in agriculture in 1927. After a merger, he continued at the newly-formed Massey Agricultural College in Palmerston North from the following year, from where he graduated in 1932. He remained as a lecturer at Massey and then did further study at the University of Cambridge where he gained his PhD. He returned to Massey as a lecturer in 1938 and moved to the Canterbury Agricultural College in 1939. He was not a good fit at the conservative college in Lincoln and was attracted to an animal research station at Ruakura in 1943. He lost his job in 1962 and then worked for the World Bank. He returned to New Zealand in 1966.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours. He had an honorary doctorate conferred by Massey University in 1966.
On 2 July 1972, he drowned in Auckland Harbour after his boat capsized. At , he was too heavy to be helped onto another boat. He had drowned after a five-hour rescue mission. McMeekan had been married twice and was survived by his second wife, and two children from his first marriage.
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Important facts
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People whose lives overlapped Campbell Percy McMeekan's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Campbell Percy McMeekan?
New Zealand university professor, agricultural scientist and administrator (1908-1972)
When was Campbell Percy McMeekan born?
Campbell Percy McMeekan was born on 29 July 1908 in Ōtaki.
When did Campbell Percy McMeekan die?
Campbell Percy McMeekan died on 2 July 1972 in Waitematā Harbour.
What was Campbell Percy McMeekan's occupation?
Campbell Percy McMeekan was an academic.
What nationality was Campbell Percy McMeekan?
Campbell Percy McMeekan was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Campbell Percy McMeekan
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Campbell Percy McMeekan. https://biography.guide/campbell-percy-mcmeekan/
MLA: "Campbell Percy McMeekan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/campbell-percy-mcmeekan/.
Chicago: "Campbell Percy McMeekan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/campbell-percy-mcmeekan/.
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