Person Cornforth; Sir; John Warcup (1917 - 2013); chemist Cornforth John Warcup Sir chemist 1917 - 2013 Australian Male Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Australasia 07 September 1917 19170907 Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, west Sussex, England, United Kingdom 08 December 2013 20131208

chemist Organic chemistry Education: Sydney High School; University of Sydney. BSc (1937), MSc (1938). Oxford University (under 1851 Exhibition Overseas Scholarship, 1939), PhD (1941) Career: Worked on penicillin (during World War 2); joined National Institute for Medical Research (1946-1962); Director, Milstead Laboratory, Shell Research, Sittingbourne, Keny (1962); Visiting Professor, University of Sussex (1971); Royal Society Research Professor, School of Molecular Sciences, University of Sussex (1975-1982); 'Australian of the year' (1975); died of an ischaemic stroke. Honours: CBE 1972; Kt 1977 Medals and prizes: Nobel Prize (Chemistry) 1975 Memberships: Millennium FRSC (2000) Parents: John William Cornforth, teacher of English and classics, and his wife, Hilda, née Eipper (1887–1969), a nurse. Spouse: (1941) Rita Harradance, organic chemist, of Sydney. Children: One son, two daughters. Distinguished as an Organic Chemist of outstanding originality and exceptional experimental skill, particularly in microchemical manipulation. The first to attribute the correct constitution to penicillamine and to synthesise the amino-acid. After making significant contributions to the synthesis of penicillin he notably developed the chemistry of the oxazole group and made oxazole itself for the first time. Medals and prizes: Davy Medal 1968; Royal Medal 1976; Copley Medal 1982 Fellow 19/03/1953 35 A Robertson Harold Warris Thompson Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Howard Walter Florey John Lionel Simonsen Ian Morris Heilbron Reginald Patrick Linstead Wilson Baker George Roger Clemo Charles Robert Harington Robert Robinson Sources: AE; DNB International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.2015.0016 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Cornforth%2C+John+Warcup RCN 2070 RCN R82012 RCN R81891 RCN 8500 RCN 8499 RCN 8131 7 Sep 1917 - 8 Dec 2013 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 11/06/2025 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA319 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 08/09/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/163574147 60d889e5-921c-47d4-9413-e2224ca6bce6