John Albery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wyndham John Albery
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| Born | 5 April 1936 United Kingdom
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| Died | 3 December 2013 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physical chemistry |
| Institutions | University College, Oxford, Imperial College London |
| Doctoral advisor | Ronnie Bell |
Wyndham John Albery (born April 5, 1936 – died December 3, 2013) was a brilliant British scientist. He was a physical chemist and a professor at universities. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Wyndham John Albery was born on April 5, 1936, in the United Kingdom. His family had many people involved in theater. For example, his aunt, Jessica Mary Albery, was one of Britain's first female architects.
He went to Winchester College for school. Later, he studied at Balliol College at Oxford University. In 1960, he started working on his D.Phil. degree at Oxford. His main teacher was Ronnie Bell.
A Career in Science and Teaching
Starting at Oxford
In 1962, Wyndham Albery became a Junior Research Fellow at Oxford. A year later, in 1963, he became a Fellow and a teacher of Chemistry at University College, Oxford. He worked with another famous scientist, E. J. Bowen, for a short time.
He held several important jobs at the college. He was Junior Dean and Dean. From 1968 to 1975, he was the Tutor for Admissions. This meant he helped decide which students got into the college. In 1975, University College was ranked number one among Oxford colleges.
Beyond the Classroom
Wyndham Albery loved theater, just like his family. He was a big supporter of the University College Players. He also helped organize the "Univ Revue" and wrote scripts for other student shows.
Early in his career, in 1962, he even wrote for a famous BBC comedy TV show called That Was The Week That Was.
Moving to Imperial College
After his time at Oxford, Albery became a Professor of Physical Chemistry. This was in 1978, and he taught at Imperial College London.
Returning to Oxford
In 1989, he went back to Oxford University. He became the Master of University College. This is a very important leadership role. In 1994, he hosted a visit from President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton. Bill Clinton had been a student at University College.
Later, Albery became a Barrer Fellow in Chemistry back at Imperial College. In 1985, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. He was the first Master of University College to receive this award. He was also an Honorary Fellow of University College, Oxford. In 2011, a special event was held in Oxford to celebrate his 75th birthday.
Wyndham Albery worked closely with another scientist named Jeremy R. Knowles. They wrote many scientific papers together. For example, they studied how an enzyme called proline racemase works.
Later Life
Wyndham John Albery passed away on December 3, 2013, after battling cancer. A memorial service was held for him in Oxford on April 5, 2014. Many people shared their memories of him at this service.
Books
- Ring-Disc Electrodes, with M. L. Hitchman, Oxford University Press, 1971 (ISBN: 0-19-855349-8).
- Electrode Kinetics, Oxford University Press, 1975 (ISBN: 0-19-855433-8).
