| RefNo | ROR/5/2/6 |
| AltRefNo | E.10 |
| Previous numbers | ROR/5/10 |
| Level | File |
| Title | Recording of Robert Robinson and Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin |
| Date | 1974 |
| Description | Dorothy Hodgkin FRS in discussion with Robert Robinson PRS.
The primary topic of discussion is her pioneering work at University of Oxford on the use and development of x-ray crystallography to investigate molecular structure, including determining the structure of insulin.
Covers the origin of her interest in this area and her influences, including the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, the lectures of Robinson and a paper by Kathleen Lonsdale on the first use of x-ray projection to determine electron density of an organic aromatic compound. She continues to talk about the progress of her research through determining structures of various compounds working first as student with Herbert (Tiny) Powell and later, on her PhD, under supervision of John Bernal. Compounds discussed include cholesterol iodide and penicillin salts. Also discussed, the possibility of capturing reactions on film using x-ray beams.
Towards the end the discussion becomes less formal, topics include Hodgkin’s interest in Africa and her work and that of her husband Thomas Lionel Hodgkin in Africa with the Workers’ Educational Association, supporting the development of African Universities. Mentions her birth in Cairo, Egypt where her father worked for the Egyptian Ministry of Education. Also, her role as a Chancellor of Bristol University and her impression of the city and the scientific research being carried out there, and anecdotes about other scientists Hodgkin and Robinson have worked with. |
| Extent | 1 tape, recording 58 mins 03 secs across two sides |
| PhysicalDescription | 1 cassette tape |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| Copyright | Shell Chemical Company Ltd |
| RelatedMaterial | A transcript of this tape was published in Notes and Records: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsnr.2022.0012 |
| Copies | 6 digital audio files (WAV, 585MB), 1 combined audio file (MP3, 132MB), duplicate cassette tape |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8241 | Hodgkin; Dorothy Mary Crowfoot (1910 - 1994); chemist and crystallographer | 1910 - 1994 |