Gordon Hobday

Sir Gordon Ivan Hobday (1 February 1916 – 27 May 2015)[1] was a British scientist who worked on penicillin with Alexander Fleming and is noted for his role as director of the Boots research team that developed ibuprofen. He later became chairman of Boots.[2]

Biography

Hobday was born in New Sawley, Derbyshire on 1 February 1916. His father, Alexander Thomas Hobday was a lace card punch operator and his mother was Frances Cassandra, née Meads. He attended Long Eaton Grammar School as a child and then studied Chemistry at University College, Nottingham. He continued his post graduate education at the university, under a scholarship and gained a PhD in 1940.[3]

Hobday married Margaret Jean Joule on 5 October 1940 and they had one daughter together. In 1995, Margaret died and he remarried on 1 July 2002 to author Patricia Cooper, née Birge.[3] He was the 4th Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, of which university he was a graduate.[4] He was Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire 1983–1991.[2] He was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1979 Birthday Honours.[5]

He died on 27 May 2015, in King's Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield at the age of 99.[6][3]

Career

Hobday joined Boots & Co as a research assistant after completing his PhD in 1940 and worked his way up through promotions. In 1952, he became head of the research department when the previous head, Jack Drummond was murdered, and re-purposed the department to find treatments for "diseases of civilisation". It was under this mindset that the department looked for an alternative treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, due to the toxicity of aspirin. The programme came up with ibuprofen, which was patented in 1961. In the 1970s, it became an over-the-counter pain killer and the World Health Organisation put it on its list of "essential medicines".[3]

In 1968, Hobday was appointed the deputy managing director for Boots, and in 1970, he became the managing director. By 1973, he had become chairman, where he attempted a merger with Glaxo and to buy House of Fraser, but the Monopolies Commission stopped both.[3]

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References
  1. Sleeman, Elizabeth (2003). The International Who's Who: 2004. Europa Publications. p. 737. ISBN 1857432177.
  2. "Two distinguished "old boys" are visiting Long Eaton School today as part of its centenary celebrations". This is Derbyshire. 12 July 2010. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  3. Rawlins, Michael (10 January 2019). "Hobday, Sir Gordon Ivan (1916–2015)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. "Chronology: Key Dates From The University's History". University of Nottingham. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  5. "A scientist and an industrialist". Nottingham Post. 12 June 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  6. "Sir Gordon Hobday". The Times. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
Academic offices
Preceded by
Sir Francis Hill		 Chancellor of the University of Nottingham
1978–1993		 Succeeded by
Ronald Dearing
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Philip Francklin		 Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire
1983–1991		 Succeeded by
Sir Andrew Buchanan, Bt
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