GB 0117 Hinshelwood papers - Hinshelwood, Sir Cyril Norman (1897-1967)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0117 Hinshelwood papers

Title

Hinshelwood, Sir Cyril Norman (1897-1967)

Date(s)

  • 1919-1973 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

12.66 linear feet

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Hinshelwood was born in London and educated at Westminster City School. He won a Brackenbury Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford, but was unable to take it up immediately because of the First World War and from 1916 to 1918 he worked at the Department of Explosives, Queensferry Road Ordnance Factory. In 1919 he went to Balliol to do the foreshortened postwar honours course in chemistry and he made his career in Oxford until his retirement in 1964. He was Fellow of Balliol, 1920-1921, Fellow and Tutor of Trinity College, 1921-1937, and Dr Lee's Professor of Chemistry and Fellow of Exeter College, 1937-1964, in succession to F. Soddy. He was Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College, London, from 1964 until his death. Hinshelwood's scientific research was in chemical kinetics, and bacterial growth. He was President of the Chemical Society, 1946-1948, at the time of its centenary celebrations and President of the Royal Society, 1955-1960, his tenure including the Tercentenary Year. In addition to his wide participation in scientific life, he was a linguist with extensive interests in the arts, and in 1959 had the unique distinction of being at the same time President of the Royal Society and the Classical Association. Hinshelwood was elected FRS in 1929 (Bakerian Lecture 1946, Davy Medal 1942, Royal Medal 1947, Leverhulme Medal 1960, Copley Medal 1962) and in 1956 he shared with N.N. Semenov the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their researches into the mechanisms of chemical reactions. He was knighted in 1948 and appointed to the Order of Merit in 1960.

Repository

Archival history

Received for cataloguing by the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre in 1973 from the Physical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford.
GB 0117 Hinshelwood papers 1919-1973 Collection (fonds) 12.66 linear feet Hinshelwood , Sir , Cyril Norman , 1897-1967 , Knight , chemist
Hinshelwood was born in London and educated at Westminster City School. He won a Brackenbury Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford, but was unable to take it up immediately because of the First World War and from 1916 to 1918 he worked at the Department of Explosives, Queensferry Road Ordnance Factory. In 1919 he went to Balliol to do the foreshortened postwar honours course in chemistry and he made his career in Oxford until his retirement in 1964. He was Fellow of Balliol, 1920-1921, Fellow and Tutor of Trinity College, 1921-1937, and Dr Lee's Professor of Chemistry and Fellow of Exeter College, 1937-1964, in succession to F. Soddy. He was Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College, London, from 1964 until his death. Hinshelwood's scientific research was in chemical kinetics, and bacterial growth. He was President of the Chemical Society, 1946-1948, at the time of its centenary celebrations and President of the Royal Society, 1955-1960, his tenure including the Tercentenary Year. In addition to his wide participation in scientific life, he was a linguist with extensive interests in the arts, and in 1959 had the unique distinction of being at the same time President of the Royal Society and the Classical Association. Hinshelwood was elected FRS in 1929 (Bakerian Lecture 1946, Davy Medal 1942, Royal Medal 1947, Leverhulme Medal 1960, Copley Medal 1962) and in 1956 he shared with N.N. Semenov the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their researches into the mechanisms of chemical reactions. He was knighted in 1948 and appointed to the Order of Merit in 1960.

Received for cataloguing by the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre in 1973 from the Physical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford.

Placed in the Royal Society in 1974.

The papers are not extensive and consist almost entirely of laboratory notebooks and working papers relating to his early work on molecular reactions and gas reactions, 1919-1938. There are also notes and reports of work on respirator design undertaken by Hinshelwood and his team for the Chemical Defence Board, Ministry of Supply, during the Second World War.

Biographical, Laboratory notebooks and working papers, War work.

Papers retain the period of confidentiality agreed at time of the deposit. All new deposits closed for 30 years except by permission of Officers of the Royal Society or the person controlling access.

No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.
English.

Printed Catalogue of the papers of Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood: CSAC catalogue no. 17/11/74, 7 pp. Copies available from NCUACS, University of Bath.

Some of Hinshelwood's papers were accepted and listed by the Library of the Royal Society after his death in 1967. They consist of certificates and records of honours and awards, reprints of scientific and non-scientific writings, photographs and press-cuttings, and a box of uncatalogued manuscript material.

Churchill Archives Centre, University of Cambridge, holds correspondence between Hinshelwood and A V Hill, 1945-1966; the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Texas, USA, holds correspondence between Hinshelwood and Sir Julian Huxley, 1937-1964.

Description based on that created by NCUACS, University of Bath. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. August 2000. Equipment Wars (events) Applied research Central government Chemical kinetics Chemical research Chemists Experiments Gases Government Government departments Hinshelwood , Sir , Cyril Norman , 1897-1967 , Knight , chemist International conflicts Medical equipment Ministry of Supply , Chemical Defence Board Physical chemistry Public administration Research Research work Scientific equipment Scientific personnel Scientists War World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) Personnel People by occupation People

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Placed in the Royal Society in 1974.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The papers are not extensive and consist almost entirely of laboratory notebooks and working papers relating to his early work on molecular reactions and gas reactions, 1919-1938. There are also notes and reports of work on respirator design undertaken by Hinshelwood and his team for the Chemical Defence Board, Ministry of Supply, during the Second World War.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Biographical, Laboratory notebooks and working papers, War work.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Papers retain the period of confidentiality agreed at time of the deposit. All new deposits closed for 30 years except by permission of Officers of the Royal Society or the person controlling access.

Conditions governing reproduction

No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Some of Hinshelwood's papers were accepted and listed by the Library of the Royal Society after his death in 1967. They consist of certificates and records of honours and awards, reprints of scientific and non-scientific writings, photographs and press-cuttings, and a box of uncatalogued manuscript material.

Finding aids

Printed Catalogue of the papers of Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood: CSAC catalogue no. 17/11/74, 7 pp. Copies available from NCUACS, University of Bath.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Churchill Archives Centre, University of Cambridge, holds correspondence between Hinshelwood and A V Hill, 1945-1966; the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Texas, USA, holds correspondence between Hinshelwood and Sir Julian Huxley, 1937-1964.

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal Society

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area