Harry Melville

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Harry Work Melville (born April 27, 1908 in Edinburgh , † June 14, 2000 ) was a Scottish chemist ( physical chemistry , polymer chemistry ).

Melville studied at the University of Edinburgh and received his doctorate there in 1932 under John Edwin Mackenzie and Ernest Bowman Ludlam with the thesis The oxidation of phosphorous at low pressures and then went to the University of Cambridge , where he was a Fellow of Trinity College from 1933 to 1944 1938 assistant to Eric Rideal in his colloid laboratory, where he dealt with polymer research. In 1943 he became superintendent of the radar research station in Malvern . After the Second World War he was a professor at the University of Aberdeen from 1945 (the chair was offered to him as early as 1939) and from 1948 professor at the University of Birmingham . In 1956 he switched to science administration and became permanent secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). In 1965 he was significantly involved in its transformation into the Science Research Council (SRC) and its first chairman. In 1958 he was knighted as Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath . He was technically gifted and a government advisor in various functions and technology areas in the UK. 1967-1976 he was Principal of Queen Mary College of the University of London .

Melville initially dealt with the kinetics of reactions in gases shortly before explosions and measured the rate coefficients and branching coefficients of the chain reactions. He later turned to polymerization. He developed techniques for labeling polymers with radioactive isotopes in order to clarify their mean molecular length and branching ratios.

In 1955 he received the Davy Medal . In 1937 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and in 1941 of the Royal Society of London . He was president of the Chemical Society. He gave the Bakerian Lecture and the Christmas Lecture of the Royal Institution.

In 1942 he married Janet Porteous and had two daughters with her.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ biographical data, publications and Academic pedigree of Harry Melville Work at academictree.org, accessed on 2 January of 2019.
  2. ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. (PDF file) Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed March 20, 2020 .
  3. ^ Entry on Melville, Sir, Harry Work (1908 - 2000) in the Archives of the Royal Society , London
personal data
SURNAME Melville, Harry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Melville, Harry Work
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish chemist
DATE OF BIRTH April 27, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Edinburgh
DATE OF DEATH June 14, 2000