| George Mason | |
| Birth Date: | 2 May 1930 |
| Birth Place: | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Taranaki |
| Alma Mater: | University of Auckland University of California, Davis |
| Relatives: | Brian Mason (Cousin) |
George Mason (2 May 1930 – 13 September 2024) was a New Zealand botanist and philanthropist.
Mason was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to conservation, philanthropy, and the community in 2020.
George William Mason was born on 2 May 1930 in the North Shore region of Auckland, New Zealand to George William Mason and Dorace Mason.[1] [2]
Mason completed his Bachelor of Science with majors in Botany and Chemistry at the University of Auckland, beginning in 1948 and graduating in 1952. He went on to pursue a Master of Science in Botany at the university, conducting a seashore study at Ngataringa Bay in North Shore for his thesis and graduated in 1956.[3]
He later earned a PhD in plant physiology from the University of California, Davis, where he taught weed science for three years, leaving in December 1959.[4]
In 1995, Mason established the George Mason Charitable Trust.[5]
Mason raised funds for the trust when he sold his share in Zelam to Lonza Group in July 2015.
In 2016, the trust donated (US$) to the University of Auckland to establish the George Mason Centre for the Natural Environment. The donation was inspired by his cousin Brian Mason's donation to the University of Canterbury.[6]
Mason was invested as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit 'for services to conservation, philanthropy and the community' on 28 July 2020.[7]
Mason died on 13 September 2024, at the age of 94. A funeral service was held at 12:00 NZST on 21 September 2024 at St Andrew's Church, New Plymouth. This was followed by a committal at the Taranaki Crematorium Chapel.