Read, John (1884 - 1963)

Summary

John Read MA BSc PhD FRS was Professor of Organic Chemistry, Pure and Applied, University of Sydney, from 1916 until 1923. While on leave in England in 1923, he was offered the Purdie Chair of Chemistry, University of St.Andews, Fife, Scotland. He resigned from the University of Sydney, and remained at St. Andrews for the rest of his life. His research interests were in the field of stereo chemistry, and he was widely known as a teacher, historian, and author. Read was a prolific writer and published 17 books and over 250 papers. His papers dealt with research in organic chemistry, the history of chemistry, scientific education, and life in Australia. He contributed notably to illuminating the humanistic values of science.

He was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society, London in 1935, and he was awarded the Dexter Award by the American Chemical Society for his significant contribution to the history of chemistry.

Details

Chronology

1908 - 1916

Career position - Lecturer and demonstrator, Chemistry, University of Cambridge, England

1916

Life event - Migrated to Sydney, Australia. [To take up position of professor and chair of Chemistry, University of Sydney]

1916 - 1923

Career position - Professor of Organic Chemistry, Pure and Applied, University of Sydney

1917 - 1922

Career event - Foundation Member, Australian Chemical Institute

1921 - 1922

Career position - President, Science Society, University of Sydney

1921 - 1922

Career position - Foundation Councillor (Chemistry), Australian National Research Council

1922

Life event - On leave in the United Kingdom, was offered Professorial role at St.Andrews, and remained there.

1923 - 1963

Career position - Professor, Organic Chemistry, University of St.Andews, Fife, Scotland

1935

Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)

1959

Award - Dexter Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry, American Chemical Society [For paper "Science, Literature, and Human Thought", Journal of Chemical Education 37 (1960) 110-117]

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Hirst, Edmund Langley, 'John Read, 1884 - 1963', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 9 (1963), 237-60, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.1963.0013. Details
• Read, John, 'Science, Literature, and Human Thought', Journal of Chemical Education, 37 (1960), 110-117, http://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/awards/Dexter%20Papers/1959-Dexter-Read%201960%20JCE%20complete.pdf. Paper related to Dexter Award, American Chemical Society. Details

Resources

• John Read John Read (1884-1963) [Biography], c1963, http://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/awards/Dexter%20Papers/ReadDexterBioJJB2.pdf. Details