Sir Richard Oswald Chandler Norman, (April 27, 1932 – June 6, 1993) was a British chemist.

Biography

Norman was born in

Norbury Norbury is an area of south London. It shares the postcode London SW16 with neighbouring Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross. Etymology The name Norbury derives from ''North Burh'', (North Borough). Some local histories note that ...

, London. His father Oswald managed a bank in the area. Norman received his primary education at

St Paul's School, London (''By Faith and By Learning'') , established = , closed = , type = Independent school Public school , religion = Church of England , president = , he ...

. He graduated with a first in chemistry from

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

in 1955, and the following year joined

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

as a Junior Research Fellow, completing his

DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

in 1957. His doctoral thesis investigated using continuous flow mixing techniques to study rapid free radical reactions. He was elected as a Fellow of Merton College in 1958, lecturing, tutoring and building up a research team. In 1965 Norman moved to the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

to create a new chemistry department, where he gained a reputation for the study of organic reactions. In 1987 he returned to Oxford as Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, where he remained until his death. He married Jennifer Margaret Tope in 1982; they had no children. He died in Oxford in 1993; his body was cremated at Oxford.

Textbooks and Monographs

* ''Electrophilic Substitution in Benzenoid Compounds'' (with Roger Taylor) (published 1964) * ''Principles of Organic Synthesis'' (published 1968; 3rd ed. 1993, with James M. Coxon) * ''Modern Organic Chemistry'' (with David J. Waddington) (published 1972; 4th ed. 1983) *''Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry: Case Studies'' (with Michael J. Tomlinson and David J. Waddington, published 1978)

Recognitions, honours, awards

* President of the

Royal Institute of Chemistry The Royal Institute of Chemistry was a British scientific organisation. Founded in 1877 as the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland (ICGBI), its role was to focus on qualifications and the professional status of chemists, and its aim ...

(1978-1980) * President of the

Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...

(1984-1986) * Elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

(1977) * Appointed (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire) (

1987 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1987 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries ...

) * Named as

Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence The Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK's Ministry of Defence is responsible for providing strategic management of science and technology issues in the MOD, most directly through the MOD research budget of well over £1 billion, and sits as a full m ...

(1983-1988) *

Meldola Medal and Prize The Meldola Medal and Prize was awarded annually from 1921 to 1979 by the Chemical Society and from 1980 to 2008 by the Royal Society of Chemistry to a British chemist who was under 32 years of age for promising original investigations in chemist ...

, Royal Society of Chemistry (1961) * Corday–Morgan Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry (1967)

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Norman, Richard Oswald Chandler 1932 births 1993 deaths People from Streatham Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford British chemists Fellows of the Royal Society Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Rectors of Exeter College, Oxford Presidents of the Royal Society of Chemistry Academics of the University of York Chief Scientific Advisers to the Ministry of Defence Scientists from London Fellows of Merton College, Oxford