Ian Heilbron Explained
| Sir Ian Heilbron |
| Birth Name: | Isidor Morris Heilbron |
| Birth Date: | 6 November 1886 |
| Birth Place: | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality: | Scottish |
| Fields: | Organic chemistry |
| Alma Mater: | Royal Technical College and University of Leipzig |
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| Thesis1 Url: | and |
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| Thesis1 Year: | and |
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| Academic Advisors: | Arthur Rudolf Hantzsch |
| Spouse: | Elda Marguerite Davis |
| Children: | 2 |
Sir Ian Heilbron DSO FRS (6 November 1886 – 14 September 1959) was a Scottish chemist,[1] [2] [3] who pioneered organic chemistry developed for therapeutic and industrial use.
Early life and education
Isidor Morris Heilbron was born in Glasgow on 6 November 1886 to a wine merchant (David Heilbron) and his wife (Fanny Jessel).[4] He was Jewish.[5] [6]
He was educated at Glasgow High School and then the Royal Technical College with G. G. Henderson. Following an award of a Carnegie Fellowship he went to the University of Leipzig to study under Arthur Rudolf Hantzsch for his doctoral thesis (1907–1910).[7]
He was awarded a Ph.D. He received a D.Sc. at the University of Glasgow in 1918 for his Contribution to the Study of Semi-carbazones' and other papers.
Military service
He served in the Royal Army Service Corps (1910–1920). He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order in 1918 for distinguished service related to operations in Salonika. He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the Redeemer by the Greek government. He achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel, Assistant Director of Supplies.[8]
During the Second World War from 1939 to 1942 he worked as a scientific advisor to the Department of Scientific Research in the Ministry of Supply. After 1942 he became a scientific advisor to the Ministry of Production.
Career
His independent research career focused on the chemistry of natural products, including work on sterols, vitamin D, vitamin A, polyene synthesis, Squalene, terpenes, pyrylium salts, algal pigments, and spiropyrans. He was also instrumental in the development of DDT to fight malaria and yellow fever.[9] Heilbron, with Arthur Herbert Cook, also studied the synthesis and structure of penicillin.[10]
Appointments
- Lecturer, Royal Technical College, 1909–14
- Scientist, later consultant at British Dyestuffs Corp. (later renamed Imperial Chemical Industries)
- Professor of organic chemistry, Royal Technical College, 1919–20
- Professor, University of Liverpool, 1920–33 (Heath Harrison Chair of Organic Chemistry)
- Professor, University of Manchester, 1933-8 (Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry, 1935-8)
- Professor of Organic Chemistry and Director of the Laboratories, Imperial College, 1938–49
- 1949: Retired from academic research
- Director, Brewing Industry Research Foundation, 1949–58
- Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Royal Military College of Science
- International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry
- Editor-in-chief of the “Dictionary of Organic Compounds” and
- Chairman of the editorial board of “Thorpe’s Dictionary of Applied Chemistry.”
Notable trainees
Source:[11]
Notable collaborators
Awards and honours
- 1911: Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry (F.I.C.)
- 1931: Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
- 1939: Longstaff Medal of the Chemical Society of London
- 1943: Davy Medal from the Royal Society "In recognition of his many notable contributions to organic chemistry, especially to the chemistry of natural products of physiological importance"
- 1945: The American Chemical Society honored him with its highest prize, the Priestley Medal. This was the first time the award went to a non-American.
Notes and References
- 10.1093/ref:odnb/33799. Heilbron, Sir Ian Morris [formerly Isidor Morris]. 2004. Alan Cook. K. D. Watson.
- http://www.open.ac.uk/ou5/Arts/chemists/person.cfm?SearchID=3737 Profile of Ian Heilbron
- Web site: On This Day – Nov 06 : Ian Heilbron was born. RSC Education. en. 2020-03-25.
- Web site: University of Glasgow :: Story : Biography of Lieutenant Colonel Isidore Morris Heilbron. universitystory.gla.ac.uk. 25 March 2020.
- Book: The Palgrave dictionary of Anglo-Jewish history. Palgrave Macmillan. Rubinstein, W. D.. Jolles, Michael. Rubinstein, Hilary L.. 2011. 978-0-230-30466-6. William Rubinstein. Hilary L. Rubinstein. Basingstoke. 410. 793104984.
- Levy. A.. 1955. The Origins of Scottish Jewry. Transactions (Jewish Historical Society of England). 19. 129–162. 29777950. 2047-2331.
- Web site: Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1945: Ian Morris Heilbron (1886–1959). pubsapp.acs.org. 2020-03-25.
- 1 February 1940. Isador M. Heilbron (1881–). Journal of Chemical Education. 17. 2. 51. 10.1021/ed017p51. 1940JChEd..17...51.. 0021-9584.
- Heilbron. I. M.. The New Insecticidal Material DDT. 1945. Journal of the Royal Society of Arts. 93. 4682. 65–71. 41361779. 0035-9114.
- Billimoria. J. D.. Cook. A. H.. Heilbron. Ian. 1949. 307. Studies in the azole series. Part XVI. Synthesis of a new analogue of penicillamine. Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed). en. 1437–1440. 10.1039/jr9490001437. 0368-1769.
- Web site: Chemistry Tree – Ian (Isidore) Morris Heilbron Family Tree. academictree.org. 2020-03-25.
- Book: Gay, Hannah. The Chemistry Department at Imperial College, London : a history, 1845–2000. Griffith, W. P. (William Pettitt), 1936–. 2016. 978-1-78326-974-7. New Jersey. 227. 965146304.
- Goodwin . T W . R. A. Morton . Nature . 1977 . 266 . 5600 . 394 . 10.1038/266394a0 . 1977Natur.266..394G . 31211784 . free .
