Irvine Masson facts for kids

Sir James Irvine Orme Masson (3 September 1887 – 22 October 1962), usually known as Irvine Masson, was an Australian-born chemist. He was a very important leader in education. From 1938 to 1953, he was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield in England. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), which are special honors for top scientists. He also received the MBE award.

Irvine Masson's Early Life and Studies

Irvine Masson was born in Toorak, a town near Melbourne, Australia. His father, Sir David Orme Masson, was also a chemistry professor at Melbourne University.

Irvine went to Melbourne Grammar School and then studied at Melbourne University. In 1908, he earned a science degree (BSc) with top honors in chemistry. He started studying medicine for a short time, but he soon returned to his passion for chemistry. In 1910, he won a scholarship to study chemistry at University College London. He later joined the staff there in 1913.

Chemistry and War Work

During the First World War, Irvine Masson used his chemistry skills to research explosives. He worked at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, England. This was a very practical job, quite different from his usual university work. This experience had a big impact on his future research.

After the war, he continued working at University College. In 1924, he became a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Durham. He also became the head of the Department of Pure Science there. During this time, he was very lucky to survive one of his experiments that caused a lot of damage to the laboratory!

His strong leadership skills led him to a new role. In 1938, he was chosen to be the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield. Even while leading the university, he continued to do important research on explosives during the Second World War.

Honors and Later Life

In 1939, Irvine Masson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 1950, King George VI made him a knight, so he became "Sir" Irvine Masson. In 1953, he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

In 1952, he retired from his position at Sheffield. He then moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he and his wife had family connections.

Sir Irvine Masson passed away in Edinburgh on 22 October 1962. He is buried in the Grange Cemetery in southern Edinburgh.

Family Connections

Irvine Masson came from a family of notable people. His paternal grandfather was David Masson, and his maternal grandfather was John Struthers.

In 1913, he married his first cousin, Flora Gulland. She passed away in 1960. They had children, including David Irvine Masson.