David Hall (15 February 1928 – 15 June 2016) was a New Zealand chemist, best known as an

X-ray crystallographer X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angles ...

Biography

A student at Auckland University College, Hall graduated

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 to ...

in 1950 and a

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in 1955. The title of his thesis was ''The Crystal Structure of Formamidoxine''. He was one of the first research students in New Zealand in the area of X-ray crystallography, following the establishment of that research area at Auckland University College by John Llewellyn in 1948. The subject of both his master's and doctoral theses was the crystal structure of formamidoxine. Hall was appointed to the academic staff of the Department of Chemistry at Auckland in 1950, and following the departure of Llewellyn in 1956, he became head of the crystallography research group. He was appointed professor and head of the Department of Chemistry at Auckland in 1965, but left to become professor of chemistry at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...

the following year. However, he returned to Auckland in 1968, and succeeded Peter de la Mare as head of department in 1980, serving in that role until his retirement in 1984, when he was conferred with the title of

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 ...

by the university. Hall was appointed chair of the New Zealand University Grants Committee in late 1984. Hall was awarded a

DSc DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

by thesis from the University of Auckland in 1969, and he was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

in 1972. His doctoral students included

Neil Waters Sir Thomas Neil Morris Waters (10 April 1931 – 7 June 2018) was a New Zealand inorganic chemist and academic administrator who served as vice-chancellor of Massey University from 1983 to 1995. He is noted for establishing the university's Alb ...

, Guy Dodson, and Ted Baker. Hall died at his home in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

on 15 June 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, David 1928 births 2016 deaths University of Auckland alumni Academic staff of the University of Auckland New Zealand chemists Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand Academic staff of the University of Alberta Crystallographers