Finlay Crisp

Leslie Finlay Crisp
Born	Template:Birth date Sandringham, Victoria, Australia
Died	December 21, 1984(1984-12-21) (aged 67) Canberra, Australia
Occupation(s)	Political scientist, academic, public servant, bank chairman
Years active	1940s–1977 (academic), 1974–1984 (banking)
Known for	Australian political science scholarship; Chairman of Commonwealth Bank

Leslie Finlay Crisp (19 January 1917 – 21 December 1984) was a distinguished Australian scholar and expert in political science.

Originating from Sandringham, Victoria, Crisp was the son of Leslie Walter Crisp and Ruby Elizabeth Crisp (née Duff). In 1940, he wed Helen Craven Wighton in Oxford, England. He passed away in Canberra in 1984 due to a heart attack.

Crisp received his early education at Black Rock State School, Caulfield Grammar School, and St Peter's College in Adelaide. He attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history from the University of Adelaide. While at university, he co-established the National Union of Australian University Students alongside his future spouse. In 1938, he was honored with a Rhodes Scholarship and pursued studies at Balliol College, Oxford. However, his academic progress was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Australian Public Service. In 1945, he contributed to the Australian delegation involved in founding the United Nations. By 1948, Crisp had completed both BA and MA degrees at Oxford.

His professional career included positions with the Short-wave Broadcasting Service (which later became Radio Australia) and the Department of Labour & National Service. In 1949, he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Post-War Reconstruction. That same year, his MA thesis was published as The Parliamentary Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, a prominent textbook on politics that was later revised and issued under the title Australian National Government in 1965. Between 1950 and 1970, Crisp served as professor and head of political science at Canberra University College and subsequently at the Australian National University. Despite increasing dissatisfaction with transformations within academia, he continued teaching until his retirement in 1977.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Crisp held leadership roles in business; he was named director of the Commonwealth Bank in 1974 and advanced to chairman from 1975 until his death in 1984.

In honor of their impact on Canberra's growth, both Crisp and his wife were among the inaugural honorees inducted into the Australian Capital Territory Honour Walk in 2005. The Canberra suburb of Bruce features Crisp Circuit, named to commemorate him.