Person Porter; Helen Kemp (1899 - 1987); biochemist Porter Helen Kemp biochemist Huggett Archbold 1899 - 1987 British Female Place Hale, Farnham, Surrey, England 10/11/1899 18991110 The Grange, Goring, Oxfordshire, England 07/12/1987 19871207

Imperial College of Science, South Kensington, London SW7 (1954)

biochemist Chromatography Biology Plant metabolism Botany Plant physiology Education: At home; Clifton High School for Girls (1906-1917); Bedford College for Women, London. BSc (1921 Chemistry and physics); DSc (1932) Career: Postgraduate work, Imperial College, London; on research team which included Elsie Widdowson (FRS 1976) studying respiration of apples relating to sugars and organic acids; studied biology at even classes at Birkbeck College, London; attended courses in biochemistry at Chelsea Polytechnical College (1928); on team of Research Institute of Plant Physiology, Imperial College, London and Rothamsted Experimental Laboratories (1931); Visiting Lecturer in Biochemistry, Swanley Horticultural College; worked on starch metabolism, studying barley; transferred to Rothamsted (World War 2); Coris laboratory, St Louis, USA (1947-1948); given grant by the Nuffield Foundation (1953); Principal Scientific Officer, Research Institute of Plant Physiology, Imperial College (1954); Reader in Enzymology, Botany Department, Imperial College (1957); Professor of Plant Physiology (1959-1964), the first woman Professor at Imperial College; Second Secretary, Agricultural Research Council (1964); Advisor to the Secretary (1972); bequeathed money to the Royal Society Memberships: Biochemical Society (Chairman 1965) Parents: George Kemp Archbold and Caroline Emily Broughton Whitehead. Spouse: 1) (1937) William George Porter (died); 2) Arthur St George Huggett (FRS 1958), physiologist. Distinguished for studies of metabolic changes throughout the development of apples and barley grains. She was the first to isolate fructosan from leaves and to show it to consist of mixed fructose polymers all with some aldose. She demonstrated that the starch of cereal grains is photosynthesised in the ear. She had a penchant for needlework and produced artistic tapestries in her spare time. Fellow 15/03/1956 57 Ian Heilbron Richard Laurence Millington Synge Stanley Peat Edmund Langley Hirst Francis John Richards Thaddeus Robert Rudolph Mann Albert Charles Chibnall Edward John Russell Reginald Patrick Linstead Frederick Gugenheim Gregory Thomas Archibald Bennet-Clark William Owen James Obituaries: Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 1991 vol 37 pp 399-409, plate, by D H Northcote Porter H K, GA WS 5029.jpg 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.1991.0020 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Porter%2C+Helen+Kemp RCN 8963 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH6862 10 Nov 1899 - 7 Dec 1987 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 18/12/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA5970 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 16/12/2025 RS_NET\louisianef Yes 03753ec5-e4cc-45ee-bd08-2cbfd0a9f513