Arthur Derek Campbell (27 May 1925 – 20 December 2020) was a New Zealand

analytical chemist Analytical chemistry studies and uses instruments and methods to separate, identify, and quantify matter. In practice, separation, identification or quantification may constitute the entire analysis or be combined with another method. Separati ...

. He was a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

from 1948 to 1988, becoming a

professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

on his retirement.

Early life and education

Campbell was born in

Waimate Waimate is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand and the seat of Waimate District. It is situated just inland from the eastern coast of the South Island. The town is reached via a short detour west when travelling on State Highway One, the main No ...

on 27 May 1925, the son of Mona Sevicke Campbell (née Jones) and David Brown Campbell. He was educated at Waimate High School, and then proceeded to study chemistry at the University of Otago, graduating

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...

with second-class honours in 1948, and PhD in 1953. His doctoral thesis was titled ''Some applications of acrylonitrile''. In 1950, Campbell married Ruth Florence Smith, and the couple went on to have three children.

Academic and research career

Campbell was a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Otago from 1948 to 1988. He was appointed as an assistant lecturer in 1948, rising to become a professor in 1971, and the Mellor Professor of Chemistry in 1983. He served as a member of the University Council from 1963 to 1971, dean of the Faculty of Science from 1980 to 1982, and head of the Department of Chemistry from 1983 to 1988. When he retired in 1988, he was conferred the title of

. Campbell's early research centred on carboxylic acid derivatives. However, he became interested in organic

microanalysis Microanalysis is the chemical identification and quantitative analysis of very small amounts of chemical substances (generally less than 10 mg or 1 ml) or very small surfaces of material (generally less than 1 cm2). One of the pioneer ...

, and developed many analytical procedures, and improved techniques for analysing perfluorinated organic compounds. Campbell served as chair of the Chemical Testing Registration Advisory Committee of the Testing Laboratory Registration Council of New Zealand from 1973 to 1985. Internationally, he was a Bureau Member of the

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...

from 1981 to 1989. The University of Otago's Campbell Microanalytical Laboratory is named in his honour. Between 1979 and 1980, Campbell was president of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.

Later life and death

Campbell's wife, Ruth, died in Dunedin on 18 March 2019. Campbell died in Dunedin on 20 December 2020.

Honours and awards

In the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, Campbell was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to science.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Arthur 1925 births 2020 deaths People from Waimate University of Otago alumni New Zealand chemists Analytical chemists Academic staff of the University of Otago New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Waimate High School