G. G. Henderson
George Gerald Henderson (30 January 1862 – 28 September 1942) was a chemist and professor at the University of Glasgow.[1][2] He was known for his work on terpenes.[3]
G. G. Henderson | |
---|---|
Born | Glasglow, Scotland | 30 January 1862
Died | 28 September 1942 80) | (aged
Nationality | Scottish |
Alma mater | University of Glasglow |
Occupation | Chemist |
Life
Henderson was born to a Glasglow merchant in 1862.[3] He began his university studies at 15.5 years of age, and studied natural sciences. He obtained a B.Sc. with Distinction in 1881. Next he studied the arts and obtained a second degree. In 1884, he also studied organic chemistry as a research assistant with Johannes Wislicenus in Leipzig.[2][4] In 1885 he was a research assistant with James Johnston Dobbie.[5]
He also obtained a M.A. in Natural Science with first class honors in 1884, and a D.Sc. in 1890 from the University of Glasgow.[6]
In 1884, Henderson started as an assistant to professor John Ferguson at the University of Glasgow.[2] In 1889, he became a Lecturer on Chemistry at Queen Margaret College (Glasgow). A few years later, in 1892, he became the Freeland Professor of Chemistry at Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College, where he worked to develop the chemistry department into a world class institution.[3] He became a Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow in 1919.[2] During his tenure at University of Glasgow, he oversaw construction of new laboratories. In 1937, Henderson was awarded the Medal of the Society of Chemical Industry for "conspicuous service to applied chemistry".[1] His research was influenced by Johannes Wislicenus, William Dittmar, George Thomas Beilby, and others.[3]
In 1895, he married his cousin Agnes Mackenzie Kerr.[2][6] They had no children.[3] She died of a heart attack in 1937.
In his obituary, Henderson was described as:
"of full middle height, spare of form, with brown moustache which never altered its shape in obedience to the dictates of fashion. In fact, Henderson was one of the most unchangeable of men."[2]
Notable students and trainees
- Ian (Isidore) Morris Heilbron (research assistant, 1907)[3][7][8][9]
- Alexander Robertson (graduate student, 1924, Studies on the sabinene series of terpenes)[3][10][11][12][13]
- Alexander R. Todd (student)[3][14]
- John Monteath Robertson (graduate student, 1926, The structural relationships of certain members of the bicyclic sesquiterpene series)[3][15][16][17][18]
Service and Affiliations
- President, Chemical Society (1931-1933)
- President, the Institute of Chemistry (1924-1927)
- President, the Society of Chemical Industry (1914-1915)
- Secretary, Recorder, and President, Section B (Chemistry) of the British Association
- Fellow, Royal Society (1916)
References
- "Prof. G. G. Henderson, F.R.S." Nature. 139 (3521): 706. 24 April 1937. Bibcode:1937Natur.139Q.706.. doi:10.1038/139706a0. ISSN 0028-0836.
- Patterson, T. S. (24 October 1942). "Prof. G. G. Henderson, F.R.S". Nature. 150 (3808): 485–486. Bibcode:1942Natur.150..485P. doi:10.1038/150485a0. ISSN 0028-0836.
- Irvine, J. C.; Simonsen, J. L. (1944). "George Gerald Henderson. 1862-1942". Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society. 4 (13): 491–502. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1944.0002. ISSN 1479-571X. JSTOR 768842.
- "Chemistry Tree - George Gerald Henderson". academictree.org. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- "Chemistry Tree - James Johnston Dobbie". academictree.org. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- "G.G. Henderson". www.glasgowwestaddress.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- Henderson, George Gerald; Heilbron, Isidore Morris (1908). "XXVII.—Contributions to the chemistry of the terpenes. Part III. Some oxidation products of pinene". J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 93: 288–295. doi:10.1039/CT9089300288. ISSN 0368-1645.
- Henderson, George Gerald; Heilbron, Isidor Morris (1911). "CCXIV.—The constitution of camphene". J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 99: 1901–1906. doi:10.1039/CT9119901901. ISSN 0368-1645.
- Henderson, George Gerald; Heilbron, Isidor Morris; Howie, Matthew (1914). "CXXVII.—Contributions to the chemistry of the terpenes. Part XVII. The action of hypochlorous acid on camphene". J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 105: 1367–1372. doi:10.1039/CT9140501367. ISSN 0368-1645.
- "Chemistry Tree - Alexander Robertson". academictree.org. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- Henderson, George Gerald; Robertson, Alexander (1923). "CCVI.—The oxidation of sabinene with hydrogen peroxide". J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 123: 1849–1855. doi:10.1039/CT9232301849. ISSN 0368-1645.
- Henderson, George Gerald; Robertson, Alexander (1924). "CCLVII.—The chemistry of cadinene. Part I". J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 125: 1992–1996. doi:10.1039/CT9242501992. ISSN 0368-1645.
- Henderson, George Gerald; Robertson, Alexander (1923). "CXCI.—The conversion of sabinol into thujene". J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 123: 1713–1717. doi:10.1039/CT9232301713. ISSN 0368-1645.
- Todd, Alexander Robertus (1983). A time to remember : the autobiography of a chemist. Cambridge University Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-521-25593-7. OCLC 9371208.
- "(IUCr) J. Monteath Robertson". www.iucr.org. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- Robertson, John Monteath; Kerr, Carl Aloysius; Henderson, George Gerald (1925). "CCLX.—The action of formic acid on certain sesquiterpenes". J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 127: 1944–1946. doi:10.1039/CT9252701944. ISSN 0368-1645.
- Henderson, George Gerald; M'Nab, William; Robertson, John Monteath (1926). "CCCCXII.—The constituents of oil of supa. A new natural source of copaene". J. Chem. Soc. 129: 3077–3080. doi:10.1039/JR9262903077. ISSN 0368-1769.
- Henderson, George Gerald; Robertson, John Monteath; Kerr, Carl Aloysius (1926). "XIII.—The chemistry of the caryophyllene series. Part I". J. Chem. Soc. 129: 62–70. doi:10.1039/JR9262900062. ISSN 0368-1769.
External links
- Biography from the University of Glasgow