George Roger Clemo facts for kids
George Roger Clemo (born August 2, 1889 – died March 2, 1983) was a smart British organic chemist. He was known for his important work with chemicals and was even made a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.
He was born in a place called Slapton, Devon, in England. His dad, George, was a farmer. George Roger Clemo went to Kingsbridge Grammar School and then studied science at the Royal Albert Memorial College in Exeter. He earned his first science degree in 1910.
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Early Life and Learning
George Clemo first trained to be a teacher. In 1911, he became a deputy master at Penzance County School. During World War I, in 1916, he joined a lab to help with the war effort. He worked with a famous chemist named William Henry Perkin, Jr. on things like dyes.
University Studies
In 1922, he went to Queen's College, Oxford, a very old and famous university. There, he earned more degrees, including a DPhil (which is like a PhD). His supervisor for this advanced degree was again William Henry Perkin, Jr.
A Career in Chemistry
After his studies, George Clemo took on important roles in the world of chemistry.
Leading Research
In 1925, he became the Director of Research at the British Dyestuffs Corporation in Manchester. This meant he was in charge of new discoveries and experiments for a company that made dyes.
Becoming a Professor
Soon after, he became a Professor of Organic Chemistry at Armstrong College. This college later became part of Newcastle University. He taught and did research there until he retired in 1954.
Important Discoveries and Honors
George Clemo was recognized for his amazing work in organic chemistry.
What Did He Study?
He wrote about 45 scientific papers, sharing his discoveries. He worked on many different topics, including:
- Finding new ways to make chemicals, especially in the quinoline group.
- Studying complex natural chemicals like strychnine and brucine.
- Looking into chemicals found in lupin plants, called lupin alkaloids.
- Understanding the structure of a substance called santonin.
- Making new compounds using special methods.
He made big steps in understanding how certain chemical rings are put together, like in lupinane. He also studied how chemicals change during certain reactions.
Royal Society Recognition
In 1937, George Clemo was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honors a scientist can receive in the UK. It showed that he was a truly outstanding organic chemist.
Beyond the Lab
Outside of his scientific work, George Clemo was also a keen sportsman. He was a brave rugby player. He even played for Cornwall, a county in England, twice in 1913.
He married Angela Mary Gertrude Evans in 1921. They had three sons and one daughter.
