Great Scot May 2020 Great Scot 159_MAY 2020_ONLINE_V3 | Page 98

OBITUARIES Greg Norman gave Norman a stake in Cobra, which helped market its products. The introduction of King Cobra oversized irons in 1993, promoted by Norman, soon accounted for 75 per cent of sales. The company branched into apparel and related goods, with revenues of US$124m in 1994 and 7500 distribution shops by 1995. The company was publicly floated in September 1993. Tom was Vice President (1994-96), selling Cobra in 1996 for US$715m to American Brands Inc., a company including golfing brand Titleist. Vice Chairman of umbrella company parent Acushnet (1996-2000), Tom was a director of Gastar Exploration Ltd (2002-08) and Chairman and a member of CyberAir Technologies’ strategic planning advisory board. In 2003 Tom was awarded the PGA of America’s Ernie Sabayrac Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Golf Industry. He then retired to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Although he lived overseas for over 40 years, Tom never forgot Scotch, to which he was a generous donor. In recognition of his generosity, Tom was welcomed as a member of the Scotch Foundation’s Forbes Society in 2001. Tom died on 18 January 2020 at Greenwich, Connecticut, United States of America. HEWITT OBE, Sir Cyrus Lenox Simson (Lenox) ('34) Sir Cyrus Lenox Simson Hewitt was born at St Kilda on 7 May 1917. Known 98 as Lenox, his father was BHP’s Assistant and Acting Secretary in the 1890s. Lenox left Canterbury Girls’ Grammar School to attend Scotch from 1926 to 1933. Relatives at Scotch included his great-uncle, Hector Norman Simson (born 18 November 1843, entered SC 1852, died 24 October 1922), and first cousins twice removed Hugh Tennent (born 3 May 1841, SC 1852-55, died 22 February 1919), Hector Norman Tennent (born 6 April 1843, SC 1852-55, died 19 April 1904) and William Middleton Tennent (born 6 October 1844, SC 1852-55, died 5 July 1883). Lenox worked for BHP from 1933 to 1939 in accountancy while studying Commerce at Melbourne University. Graduating BCom (1939), he became Assistant Secretary of the Commonwealth Prices Branch (1939-46), and then an economist in the Department of Post-War Reconstruction (1946-49). In 1950 Lenox went to London as Official Secretary and Acting Deputy High Commissioner (1950- 53). Despite his Commonwealth public service work, he found time to lecture at the Canberra University College in economics and cost accountancy (1940-49 and 1954). Returning to Australia, the position of Assistant Secretary of the Commonwealth Treasury (1953-55) was created for Lenox. He became First Assistant Secretary (Budgets and Accounting) of the Commonwealth Treasury (1955-62). During the 1950s, he was a member of many Australian delegations attending overseas trade conferences. Lenox became Deputy Secretary (Supply and General) of the Treasury (1962-66). During a period of rapid expansion of Australian universities, Lenox was Chairman of the Australian Universities Commission (1967-68). Lenox was appointed Secretary to the Department of the Prime Minister (1968-71) by John Gorton, but Prime Minister William McMahon sacked him. He became Secretary of the Department of the Vice President of the Executive Council (1971) and of the Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts (1971-72). Prime Minister Gough Whitlam reinstated Lenox as a permanent secretary, and Rex Connor appointed him Secretary of the Department of Minerals and Energy (1972-75). Due to his experience, Lenox was given an increasing number of appointments, including the Snowy Mountains Council (Chairman, 1973-75), Australian Atomic Energy Commission (member 1973-78, Deputy Chairman 1975-78), Australian Industry Development Corporation (Director, 1975), and the IATA (executive committee 1976-77). He was Chairman of the New South Wales State Rail Authority (1985-88) and a member of that state’s judicial commission (1986-89). Lenox was a director of Qantas (1973- 80), and Prime Minister Gough Whitlam appointed him its Chairman (1975-80). Other company directorships included Jetabout Ltd (1975-80), Mary Kathleen Uranium (1975-79), Santos Ltd (1980), Aberfoyle Ltd (1980-89), Endeavour Resources Ltd (1982- 86), Austmark International Ltd (Chairman, 1983-88), Industrial & Pastoral Holdings Ltd (1984-90) and Prop Jet Ltd (1989-2001). Awarded the OBE in 1963, Lenox was knighted in 1971. He received the international Tony Jannus Award in 1989 for outstanding achievement in scheduled commercial aviation. He also received the Centenary Medal in 2001. On 11 February 1943 Lenox married Alison (Hope) Tillyard at Scotch. Their marriage lasted until her death on 18 March 2015. Scotch was always in Lenox’s thoughts as a very special influence on his life, and it was something about which he continued to speak in his final years. Lenox died at about 8.30pm on 28 February 2020 at Albert Court Aged Care, Edgecliff, New South Wales, aged 102. He had until then been Scotch’s third-oldest known living Old Boy. To view the Great Scot policy for submitting obituaries, please go to: https://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/ community/scotch-publications/ great-scot.aspx then click 'Great Scot Obituaries' Policies'. Tributes and photographs should be emailed to the School Archivist, Mr Paul Mishura: [email protected] or mailed to him at Scotch College, 1 Morrison Street, Hawthorn 3122. Great Scot Issue 159 – May 2020