John Angus Erskine (28 January 1873 – 27 April 1960, Melbourne) was a New Zealand educated physicist, electrical engineer, benefactor, and chess master.
Born in Invercargill on 28 January 1873,[citation needed] he was a son of Robert Erskine, who migrated from Scotland to Southland, New Zealand, at the age of 16.
Jack was educated at South School, and became the first Southland youth to win a Junior Scholarship to the University of New Zealand in 1890.
It was here that Erskine investigated the magnetic screening of high-frequency oscillations by various metals, an offshoot of Rutherford's pioneering work.
[4] Erskine bequeathed his estate worth £254,794 to the University of Canterbury to be held in trust to fund international exchanges of academic staff.