Norman Loftus Bor obtained his DSc (1930) and ScD (1948) from the University of Dublin. His area of specialization was Botany. He was Captain, Irish Army, World War I; Forest Officer, Deputy Commissioner, Forests; Forest Botanist and Silviculturist, Indian Forest Service; Chief Administrator, Burma Refugee Organization; and Assistant Director, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

Academic and Research Achievements: Bor investigated the grasses of Assam and published List of the Grasses of Assam (1938), and the Flora of Assam (1940). His research was published in his Grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India and Pakistan (1960). After his retirement in 1959 he continued his agrostological work. In spite of his ill health he revised and wrote accounts of the Gramineae for K Rechinger's Flora of Lowland Iraq (1964) and Flora Iranica (1970).

Other Contributions: Bor was largely responsible for the publication of Floras of Cyprus and Iraq. He wrote Mannuals of Indian Botany (1953), which is a boon for forestry students, and also Some Beautiful Indian Climbers and Shrubs (1954). He was President of Indian Botanical Society (1945).

Awards and Honours: Bor was President, Botany Section of Indian Science Congress (1942); CIE (1945); and an Officer of (the Order of) British Empire (OBE). He was recipient of Paul Johannes Brühl Medal of Asiatic Society (1945); and Gold Medal of Linnaean Society of London (1962).