| Authorised form of name | Fowden; Sir; Leslie (1925 - 2008); plant biochemist |
| Dates | 1925 - 2008 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Birch Hill House, Wardle, Rochdale, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
| Date of birth | 13 October 1925 |
| Place of death | Etheldred House care home, Clay Street, Histon, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Date of death | 16 December 2008 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Cremation: Cambridge crematorium, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom (29 December 2008) |
| Occupation | Plant biochemist |
| Research field | Organic chemistry |
| Plant science |
| Phytochemistry |
| Biochemistry |
| Activity | Education:
Rochdale grammar school; University College, London 1943-1945
Career:
Began working at the Medical Research Council's human nutrition research unit (1947); ecturer in plant biochemistry in the botany department at University College (1950); promoted to a readership (1956–64); then personal chair (1964–73); dean of the faculty of science (1970-1973); honorary fellow of University College (1966); held visiting appointments at Cornell University (1955); the Biochemical Institute in Helsinki (1957); the University of California at Davis (1963); and the University of Hong Kong (1967); director of the Rothamsted Experimental Station in Harpenden (1973); retired (1988); travelled and lectured widely as chairman of the plant chemistry working group division of the International Organization for Chemical Science in Development (1987–90); chairman of the British Council's agricultural and veterinary advisory committee (1987–95); died from renal and heart failure.
Honours:
Kt 1982 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 19/03/1964 |
| Age at election | 38 |
| RSActivity | Royal Society roles:
Council: 1970-1972 |
| Relationships | Parents: Herbert Fowden (1878–1960), iron turner at Turner Brothers, ironfounders, and Amy Dorothy Rabbich (1891–1960), cotton minder and daughter of Frank Goodridge Rabbich, school caretaker and former baker.
Spouse: Margaret (Peggy) Oakes (1923–2006), daughter of Arthur George Murell Oakes, fireman
Children: Abigail and Jeremy. |
| PublishedWorks | RCN 18417
RCN 15186
RCN 18453 |
| OtherInfo | One of the most influential plant scientists of his generation. He pioneered the new field of phytochemistry and was the world authority on plant amino acids. He was distinguished for the identification, characterization and biological function of a new category of nitrogen containing molecules in plants, the non-protein amino acids.
The main lecture theatre at Rothamsted had been named after him in 1987. |
| Royal Society Obituary or Memoir | Click to view (may be contained within a meeting notice, presidential address or list of death notices) |
| Source | DNB; |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/164122939 |
| Code | NA3954 |