1921 - 2005

Dr. John Caleekal George a Canadian zoologist, physiologist and professor emeritus worked with the department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He was a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences and member of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society (U.S.A). He was appointed in 1950 as the founding head of the department of Zoology at the M.S.University of Baroda, India.

His father Dr.C.J.George was a leading Indian zoologist who completed his higher education at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. It was his father's great influence, which sparked an interest in him for comparative physiology.
Dr. John Caleekal George has studied and done research in depth in animal physiology, in particular the physiological basis of bird migration. He founded PAVO, the Indian Journal of Ornithology.

Professor George had perceived a link between the external environment and the endocrine system in his studies on the pineal gland which in turn led him to the discovery of the pineal gland hormone, melatonin, being a hypometabolic hormone regulating body temperature, heart rate and breathing frequency in birds. Melatonin was thus shown to act as a hypothermic hormone to prevent heat stroke during prolonged muscular activity.

Professional awards received by Professor George include an award for excellence in research from Sigma Xi, of which he was elected president of the Guelph chapter. He was the Honorary chairman of the Fifth Canadian Pineal and Melatonin Symposium held in Guelph. He was appointed to the research advisory board of the American Biographical Institute and was also included in the Honours List of 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 20th Century (2000), published by International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England,(2001)

Professor George has published one book with A.J.Berger, Avian Myology, twelve book chapters and about 400 research papers.
For a detailed biographical sketch of Professor George, see the Premier Edition of Great Minds of the 21st Century, published by American Biographical Institute, Raleigh, NC, U.S.A., 2003