Professor John Fleming “Jack” Brok dies

On 3 July 1983, John Fleming (Jack) Brock died – he was a scientist, physician and a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town. Fleming was born on 27 March 1905 in Port Elizabeth, situated in the Cape Colony (now known as Eastern Cape). He was one of South Africa’s most distinguished nutritional scientists and medical educators. After qualifying as a physician at Oxford University, England, in 1931, Fleming served at a London Hospital as trainee registrar and research assistant. Towards the end of the 1930s, Fleming was appointed as a Professor for the Practice of Medicine at the University of Cape Town. In addition, he was also appointed as the joint head of the Department of Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital. Furthermore, Fleming was the founding member and early president of the South Africa Nutrition Society (SANS). References: Verwey, E.J. (1995). New Dictionary of South African Biography, v.1, Pretoria: HSRC. JN The journal of nutrition [online] available at www.jn.nutrition.org [accessed 31 May 2011]