Sir John Harrison Burnett (21 January 1922 – 22 July 2007) was a British botanist and mycologist, who served as the principal and vice chancellor of Edinburgh University from 1979 to 1987.
He was educated at Kingswood School in Bath before going up to Merton College, Oxford to read botany in 1940.
[1][2] His studies were interrupted by the Second World War and from 1942 he served as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR).
In 1955 he became Professor of Botany at St Andrews University and served as dean of the Science Faculty 1958 to 1960.
[1][5] He was chairman, and an active leader of the newly formed Co-ordinating Commission for Biological Recording (1989–2003).
[1] He undertook research of fundamental importance on the structure of fungi and on their population genetics and later in his career became a leader in plant conservation.