▁Ful br ight ▁Senior ▁Sch olar ship ▁in ▁Law ▁to ▁Harvard ▁University . ▁He ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁an ▁expert ▁on ▁constitution al ▁law , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁visit ing ▁professor ▁at ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁over se as ▁institutions . ▁He ▁later ▁served ▁as ▁vice - chan cell or ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁England ▁( 1 9 6 6 – 1 9 7 0 ) ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Queensland ▁( 1 9 7 0 – 1 9 7 7 ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁Mal col m ▁F ras er ▁appointed ▁Cow en ▁to ▁succeed ▁John ▁K err ▁as ▁governor - general . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁un cont ro vers ial ▁choice , ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁second ▁Jewish ▁holder ▁of ▁the ▁position , ▁after ▁Sir ▁Isaac ▁Isa acs . ▁After ▁leaving ▁office , ▁Cow en ▁returned ▁to ▁academ ia , ▁serving ▁as ▁prov ost ▁of ▁Ori el ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Cow en ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Melbourne ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁into ▁a ▁Jewish ▁family ▁named ▁C ohen , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Bernard ▁C ohen ▁( 1 8 9 2 ▁– ▁ 1 9 7 5 ), ▁from ▁Bel arus ▁and ▁S ara ▁C ohen ▁( née ▁Gran at ; ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁– 1 9 8 9 ), ▁born ▁in ▁Australia . ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁grand par ents ▁were ▁Jewish ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁Bel arus ▁in ▁the