Charles Kemball facts for kids

Charles Kemball (born March 27, 1923, in Edinburgh – died September 4, 1998, in Tyninghame) was an important Scottish chemist. He was known for his work with mass spectrometry, a way to measure tiny particles. He was also a top expert in something called heterogeneous catalysis, which is about how chemicals react on surfaces.

Kemball led two important groups: he was president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1988 to 1991, and president of the Royal Institute of Chemistry from 1974 to 1976. He was also honored as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and was a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Life Story

Charles Kemball was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on March 27, 1923. His father, Charles Henry Kemball, was a dental surgeon. Charles went to school at Edinburgh Academy from 1929 to 1940.

In 1939, he won a special scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge. There, he earned his first degree (MA) and later two advanced degrees (ScD and PhD).

Studying in America

After his studies in Cambridge, Charles Kemball traveled to the United States. In October 1946, he sailed to New York on the RMS Queen Elizabeth. This ship had just finished serving as a troop carrier during World War II.

Charles had a special scholarship called the Commonwealth Fund Scholarship. This allowed him to study at Princeton University in the USA. He worked with Professor H. S. Taylor, who was a leading expert in heterogeneous catalysis. This time at Princeton was very important for Charles's future work in chemistry.

Return to Cambridge

In September 1947, Kemball sailed back to England on the same ship. He joined the Department of Colloid Science at Cambridge University. He continued his research at Trinity.

In 1949, he moved to the Department of Physical Chemistry. There, he set up his new mass spectrometer. He used it to study how hydrocarbons (chemicals like oil and gas) reacted with deuterium (a type of hydrogen) using metal films as catalysts. This research built on what he learned at Princeton.

Teaching and Awards

In 1951, Charles Kemball received the Meldola Medal from the Chemical Society. This award is given to a promising young British chemist under 32.

He became a professor at Queen's University Belfast from 1954 to 1966. Then, he moved to the University of Edinburgh, where he was a Professor of Chemistry from 1966 to 1987.

In 1965, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. Two years later, in 1967, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He also served as vice president for this society twice. Later, he became its president from 1988 to 1991. He also won the Society's Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize.

In 1980, he received an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University. In 1991, he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions.

Charles Kemball passed away at his home in Tyninghame, Scotland, on September 4, 1998.

Awards and Honors

Charles Kemball received many awards and honors throughout his career. Here are some of them:

• 1946: Commonwealth Fund Fellowship to Princeton University
• 1946: Research Fellowship, Trinity College, Cambridge
• 1951: Meldola Medal, the Chemical Society
• 1958: Corday–Morgan Medal and Prize, the Chemical Society
• 1962: Ipatieff Prize, the American Chemical Society (he was the first person outside the USA to receive this award)
• 1965: Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
• 1967: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE)
• 1974–76: President, the Royal Institute of Chemistry
• 1980: Honorary Doctorate (DSc), Heriot-Watt University
• 1982: Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
• 1988–91: President, the Royal Society of Edinburgh
• 1991: Commander of the British Empire (CBE)

Family Life

In 1956, Charles Kemball married Kathleen (Kay) Purvis Lynd. They had one son, Alan, and two daughters, Mary and Heather. Charles was also a grandfather to nine grandchildren.