Royal Society of Chemistry

HISTORICAL GROUP

Web pages prepared Dr G P Moss, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England. E-mail: g.p.moss@qmul.ac.uk

Chairman:

Prof A Dronsfield, School of Education, Health and Sciences, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB England. E-mail: A.Dronsfield@derby.ac.uk

Secretary:

Prof W P Griffith, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AY, England. E-mail: w.griffith@ic.ac.uk

Treasurer:

Dr J A Hudson, Graythwaite, Loweswater, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0SU, England. E-mail: johnhudson25@hotmail.com

Newsletter Editor:

Dr V Quirke, 16 Drayton Road, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxon, OX10 7PJ England. E-mail: vquirke@brookes.ac.uk

The Historical Group exists to encourage an interest in the history of chemistry and chemical industry among members of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and others. Membership is open to non-members of the RSC and embraces a wide range from those whose interest in the history of chemistry is a hobby to teachers of chemistry at all levels and professional historians.

The Group holds twice yearly meetings when academic papers are read and discussed. Summaries of papers read at these meetings are included in the Historical Group Newsletter along with reviews of recent books in the subject and news of other meetings and forthcoming events. The Newsletter is published twice yearly. Contributions of not more than 500 words on topics of current interest in the history of chemistry are invited for inclusion at the discretion of the Editor. The contents of the last issue, February 2006, are given below.

The Group maintains contact with colleagues in the Historical Division of the History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society and the Federation of European Chemical Societies.

How to join the Historical Group:

If you are a member of the RSC you should contact the Membership Department (01223 432141) quoting your name and membership number. When you have done this please inform the Group's Membership Secretary, Dr John Hudson, on 01946 861555; johnhudson25@hotmail.com The annual subscription is currently £10 which will be collected by the RSC. Those who are not qualified to join the RSC but who are interested in the history of chemistry are welcome to join the Group at an annual subscription of £12 per annum. Please send your name, address, phone number, email address and a cheque for £12 made out to "The Royal Society of Chemistry Historical Group" to Dr John Hudson, Graythwaite, Loweswater, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 0SU. All members of the Group receive the Newsletter.


Next Meeting

The next meeting on "The Rise and Fall of ICI" will be held starting at 10.15 am on Friday, 19 March, 2010 at the Chemistry Centre, Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA [Click here for a map of the location of Burlington House which is labelled "The Royal Acad of Arts" (As well as the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House also contains the Geological Society, Linnean Society, Royal Astronomical Society and Society of Antiquaries)].

The Rise and Fall of ICI

10.00Registration and coffee
10.30Introduction (Profs. Alan Dronsfield and Jack Betteridge)
Morning Session: Chairman Dr. Adrian Parkins
10.45 Prof. Frank James (Royal Institution)
   Ludwig Mond & other Monds (Science & the Arts)
11.35Prof. David Edgerton (Imperial College)
   Imperial Chemical Industries in the Second World War
12.30Lunch: this is not provided but there are many cafés and bars close by
13.45For RSC Historical Group members the AGM of the Group
Chairman: Dr. Bernard Langley (ICI Pharmaceuticals Division)
14.00Dr. Viviane Quirke (Oxford Brookes University)
   From Dyestuffs to Pharmaceuticals: ICI and the British drug industry, ca 1940s-1970s
14.50Dr. Martyn Twigg (Chief Scientist, Johnson Matthey), and Dr. Pelham Hawker (Metalysis)
   Catalysis - a lost opportunity
15.30Tea Break
Chairman: Professor Jack Betteridge
16.00Julian Phillips (ICI Agricultural Division)
   Things fall apart
16.50General discussion
17.10Concluding remarks (Jack Betteridge)
17.15Close of Meeting

REGISTRATION

There is no charge for the meeting but seating is limited. The booking list is now full and a waiting list is being compiled. Details by e-mail from w.griffith@ic.ac.uk.


Other Useful Web pages

The Library & Information Centre, Historical Chemistry Information Service.

The Chemical Heritage Foundation.

ACS Historical Division.

The Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry.

Details of Nobel Prize winners; portraits; and other details.

List of Nobel Prize winners for Chemistry.

Chemical Heritage Foundation.

History of Pharmacy Forum.

The History of Chemical Engineering.

The Classic Chemistry Page.

Alchemy Home Page.

Historic samples and specimens from the Chemistry Department, Imperial College, London.

History of chemistry in Heidelberg

Science & Civilisation in China Project (Needham Research Institute).

There is a History of Chemistry Mail List or email chem-hist-request@mailman.uni-regensburg.de

To send messages email chem-hist@mailman.uni-regensburg.de


Contents of Historical Group Newsletter
and Summary of Papers

January 2009 Newsletter

Contents

From the Editor

News and Updates
Royal Society of Chemistry Historical Group AGM Agenda
2011 International Year of Chemistry
News from the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF)
Useful websites and addresses

Short Essays
Chemistry and its relations in nineteenth-century Oxford, J.S. Rowlinson

RSC National Historical Chemical Landmark
RSC National Chemical Landmark Award, AstraZeneca (Alan Dronsfield)
RSC National Chemical Landmark Award at UCL (Bill Griffith)

Book Reviews
The Dyson Perrins Laboratory and Oxford Organic Chemistry 1916-2004. Rachel Curtis, Catherine Leith, Joshua Nall and John Jones (eds)(John Nicholson)

Meeting and Conference Reports
Conservation in Context (Bill Griffith and Alan Dronsfield)
Chemists in non-Chemical Industries (John Hudson)

Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry
Pharmacy in History

American Chemical Society - Division of the History of Chemistry

Meetings of the RSC Historical Group

Other Meetings
The 7th ICHC and the 23rd ICHST
Oxford History of Chemistry Seminars

Contents of previous Newsletters

Biographies of Chemists including Confusing Names 1-3 from Newsletters 1998-9


Last update 12 March, 2010

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