Record

Authorised form of nameBuckingham; Amyand David (1930 - 2021)
Dates1930 - 2021
NationalityAustralian
Place of birthPymble, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Australasia
Date of birth28/01/1930
Date of death04/02/2021
OccupationChemist
Research fieldMagnetism
Intermolecular forces
ActivityEducation:
Barker College, Hornsby, New South Wales (1941-1947); University of Sydney, BSc (1951), MSc (1953); Shell Postgraduate Scholar at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, PhD (1956)
Career:
1851 Exhibition Senior Student, Physical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford (1955-1957); University Lecturer, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford (1958-1965); Professor of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bristol (1965-1969); Professor of Chemistry later Emeritus Professor, University of Cambridge (1969-2021); Fellows of Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (1970-2021); CGS unit of the electric quadrupole named the 'Buckingham' in his honour
Honours:
CBE 1997
Medals/Awards:
Harrie Massey Medal and Prize of the Institute of Physics 1995; Ahmed Zewail Prize 2006
Memberships:
American Physical Society (1986); US National Academy of Sciences (1992); FAA (2008)
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election20/03/1975
Age at election45
RSActivityRoyal Society roles:
Council: 1999-2001
Committee and panels:
Scientific Relief Committee (Chair 2002); Editorial Board of Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 2008-2011, 2015-2018; Royal Society Research Grants Scheme - History of Science Board, 2000-2001
Medals and prizes:
Hughes Medal 1996
PublishedWorkshttps://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n50041753/
OtherInfoAmyand ‘David’ Buckingham was a chemist whose detailed study of optical, electric and magnetic properties of molecules and intermolecular forces has shed light on fundamental physical properties of matter. His career was distinguished by the development of theoretical models and valuable new experimental techniques.

Many of David’s most significant achievements arose from his work on the electric and magnetic properties of molecules. With Ray Disch, he made the first direct measurement of a molecular electric quadrupole moment. His work led to an improved understanding of the medically useful phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance. He also helped to characterise optically active materials and the differing ways in which they scatter left and right circularly polarised light.

Appointed Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1969, David was a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences and a Corresponding Member of the Australian Academy of Science. In 2007, he was the inaugural recipient of the Ahmed Zewail Prize in Molecular Sciences, recognising his pioneering contributions.

Professor David Buckingham CBE FRS died on 4 February 2021.
SourceSources:
Wikipedia; Royal Society profile https://royalsociety.org/people/david-buckingham-11157/, accessed 10 February 2021); (1996) Amyand David Buckingham, Molecular Physics, 87:4, 711-724, DOI: 10.1080/00268979600100491
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/34535296
CodeNA202
Archives associated with this Fellow
RefNoTitleDate
EC/1975/06Buckingham, Amyand David: certificate of election to the Royal Society
IM/000639Buckingham, Amyand David1996
IM/GA/RGRS/7807Buckingham, Amyand David1976
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