Record

Authorised form of nameMelville; Sir; Harry Work (1908 - 2000)
Dates1908 - 2000
Place of birthEdinburgh, Scotland
Date of birth27/04/1908
Place of deathGerards Cross, Buckinghamshire
Date of death15/06/2000
Research fieldPolymer chemistry
ActivityEducation:
George Heriot's School, Edinburgh; Edinburgh University; Cambridge University
Career:
Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge (1933-1944); Assistant research director for Professor Rideal (1938-1940); Scientific Advisor to the Chief Superintendent of chemical defence (1940-1943); Superintendent, Radar Research Station, Malvern (1943); Professor of Chemistry, Aberdeen University (1945-1948); Mason Professor of Chemistry, Birmingham University (1948-1956); Permanent Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, later Science Research Council (1956); first Chairman, Science Research Council; Principal, Queen Mary College, London (1967-1976)
Honours:
KCB 1958
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election20/03/1941
Age at election32
RSActivityRoyal Society roles:
Council: 1945-1947
Medals and prizes:
Davy Medal 1955
Lectures:
Bakerian 1956
RelationshipsMarried (1942) Janet Porteous; two daughters
SourceReferences:
P H Plesch, 'Symposium on Friedel-Crafts Catalysts and Polymerization' in NR 1999 vol 53 pp 135-141
Obituaries:
Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 2002 vol 48 pp 289-308, plate, by J C Bevington and B G Gowenlock
CodeNA5160
Archives associated with this Fellow
RefNoTitleDate
RR/77/66Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies in chain transfer. Part II. Catalyzed polymerization of methyl methacrylate' by Sadhan Basu, Jyotirindra Nath Sen and Santi R Palit28 April 1952
GLB/18/17Paper by G P Wells, Harry Melville and Alexander Haddow on the Archives of the Royal Society Clubc June 1962
GLB/18/20Brown to H W Melville, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research17 April 1964
HF/1/17/1/47/73Copy of a letter from Lindor Brown, Department of Physiology, University of Oxford to Harry Melville, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, London17 April 1964
HWT/41/1/5Correspondence and papers regarding cooperation with European Community, company associates of IUPAC and candidates for electionAugust - November 1966
HWT/41/2/11Correspondence regarding composition of Commission, spectroscopy dictionaryApril - May 1967
HWT/41/3/5Continuing correspondence regarding membershipJanuary - July 1967
HWT/41/2/10Correspondence regarding 'Multilingual Dictionary of Important Terms in Molecular Spectroscopy' etcApril - June 1966
HWT/41/2/13Agendas and correspondence regarding meetings held in Prague (30 - 31 August) and Madrid (9 - 10 September 1967)1967
HWT/41/3/4Correspondence regarding membership of reconstituted CommissionSeptember - December 1966
HWT/41/3/3Correspondence regarding reorganisation of the Triple CommissionSeptember - December 1965
IM/GA/WS/523Melville, Sir Harry Worknd
RR/73/171Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Interferometric studies in diffusion. I. Determination of concentration distributions' by C Robinson20 July 1950
IM/003058Melville, Sir Harry Worknd
RR/72/194Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'Studies in copolymerization. Parts I and II' by Harry Work Melville and L Valentine1949
RR/67/249Referee's report by Edmund John Bowen, on a paper 'The determination of the lifetime of active polymeric molecules' by T T Jones and Harry Work MelvilleMarch 1940
RR/48/128Referee's report by David Leonard Chapman, on a paper 'The photochemistry of phosphine' by Harry Work Melville[August 1932]
RR/51/39Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the reaction between hydrogen and nitrous oxide. Part II' by Harry Work Melville[May 1934]
RR/50/60Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the reaction between hydrogen and nitrous oxide.-I' by Harry Work MelvilleJune 1933
RR/54/47Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The sorption of hydrogen and deuterium by copper and palladium I-The behaviour of copper and copper oxides' by Harry Work Melville and Eric Keightley RidealJuly 1935
RR/51/40Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the reaction between hydrogen and nitrous oxide III—Effect of oxygen' by Harry Work Melville[May 1934]
RR/67/29Referee's report by Edmund John Bowen, on a paper 'The reaction of atomic hydrogen with hydrazine' by E A B Birse and Harry Work Melville1940
RR/71/205Referee's report by William Charles Evans, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines I. Apparatus and use of para-hydrogen techniques' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/58/93Referee's report by Ronald George Wreyford Norrish, on a paper 'The photochemical decomposition and oxidation of trideuterophosphine' by Harry Work Melville, J L Bolland and H L RoxburghJanuary 1937
RR/72/266Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The kinetics of the polymerization of sarcosine carbonic anhydride' by S G Waley and J Watson1949
RR/69/56Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'Determination of the velocity coefficients for polymerization processes III. Effect of environment on polymerization processes' by G M Burnett and Harry Work Melville1946
RR/71/9Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies in polymerization - IV. The velocity constants in the polymerization of p-methoxystyrene' by D W E Axford[1948]
RR/71/66Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The bond dissociation energies of Cd - CH3 in Cd(CH3)2, and of CH3-I in CH3I' by A S Carson, K Hartley and H A Skinner[1948]
RR/71/212Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines IV. Results obtained by the foregoing techniques' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/69/55Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'Determination of the velocity coefficients for polymerization processes II. The photosensitized polymerization of vinyl acetate by benzoyl peroxide' by G M Burnett and Harry Work Melville1946
RR/71/208Referee's report by William Charles Evans, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines II. Diffusion theory' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/69/54Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'Determination of the velocity coefficients for polymerization processes. - I. The direct photopolymerization of vinyl acetate' by G M Burnett and Harry Work Melville1946
RR/72/136Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The thermal degradation of polyvinyl compounds. I. A new type of molecular still' by N Grassie and Harry Work Melville1949
RR/71/207Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines II. Diffusion theory' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/67/28Referee's report by Edmund John Bowen, on a paper 'The photolysis of ammonia' by E A B Birse and Harry Work MelvilleJanuary 1940
RR/68/41Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on two papers 'The catalysis of the parahydrogen conversion by tungsten' by Daniel Douglas Eley and Eric Keightley Rideal, and 'The interchange of hydrogen in the adsorbed film on tungsten' by Daniel Douglas Eley[June 1941]
RR/68/39Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The polymerization of olefines induced by free radicals' by C J Danby and Cyril Norman Hinshelwood[July 1941]
RR/71/209Referee's report by William Charles Evans, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines III. Theory and technique involved in the use of the oxides of molybdenum and tungsten as hydrogen atom removers' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/71/210Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines III. Theory and technique involved in the use of the oxides of molybdenum and tungsten as hydrogen atom removers' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/69/183Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on two papers 'The photochemical polymerization of methyl vinyl ketone vapour' and 'The free radical polymerization of the vapours of certain vinyl derivatives' by Thomas Tyrwhitt Jones and Harry Work Melville1945
RR/71/36Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The polymerization of acetaldehyde at low temperatures' by J C Bevington and Ronald George Wreyford Norrish[1948]
RR/70/16Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies in polymerization - II. A method for investigating the relation between the molecular weights and intrinsic viscosities of polymers, and its application to polystyrene' by Clement Henry Bamford and Michael James Stewart Dewar1947
RR/72/134Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The thermal degradation of polyvinyl compounds - III. The effect of inhibitors and end groups on the degradation of polymethyl methacrylate' by N Grassie and Harry Work Melville1949
RR/71/211Referee's report by William Charles Evans, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines IV. Results obtained by the foregoing techniques' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/68/125Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The photocombination of hydrogen and chlorine in oxygen-free systems' by M Ritchie and D Taylor20 October 1941
RR/72/135Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The thermal degradation of polyvinyl compounds. II. The degradation of benzoyl peroxide catalyzed polymethyl methacrylates' by N Grassie and Harry Work Melville1949
RR/68/36Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The structure of polychloroprene' by C J Birkett Clews[1941]
RR/71/206Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines I. Apparatus and use of para-hydrogen techniques' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb1948
RR/69/27Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Measurement of the ultimate pressures of oildiffusion pumps' by J Blears1945
RR/72/133Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The thermal degradation of polyvinyl compounds IV. The thermal degradation of the methyl methacrylate copolymers with glycol dimethacrylate and acrylonitrile' by N Grassie and Harry Work Melville1949
RR/69/9Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies in polymerization. I. A method for determining the velocity constants in polymerization reactions and its application to styrene' by Clement Henry Bamford and Michael James Stewart DewarJanuary 1947
RR/71/98Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies in polymerization V. The polymerization of vinyl acetate' by Graham Dixon-Lewis[1948]
RR/71/20Letter from Harry Work Melville, to David Christie Martin, regarding a paper 'Studies in polymerization - III. The polymerization of methyl methacrylate' by Clement Henry Bamford and Michael James Stewart Dewar29 November 1948
EC/1941/10Melville, Sir Harry Work: certificate of election to the Royal Society
GLB/18/19H W Melville, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to Brown31 March 1964
HWT/38/1'Report on Visit to Germany, October 1947, by Professor Todd, Professor Emeleus, Dr Thompson, Professor Cook and Professor Melville'1947
PB/1/33/2Correspondence concerning the Copley Medal of the Royal Society1956
RR/50/61Second referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the reaction between hydrogen and nitrous oxide.-I' by Harry Work Melville28 July 1933
RR/73/269Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The catalyzed polymerization of gaseous formaldehyde' by J C Bevington and Ronald George Wreyford Norrish8 November 1950
RR/73/65Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'Studies in copolymerization The evaluation of the kinetic coefficients for the system styrene-butyl acrylate' by E J Arlman and Harry Work Melville1950
RR/43/111Referee's report by Herbert Brereton Baker, on a paper 'The effect of foreign gases on the lower critical oxidation limit of phosphorus vapour' by Harry Work Melville and E B LudlamMarch 1931
RR/43/112Referee's report by David Leonard Chapman, on a paper 'The oxidation of phosphorus vapour at low pressures in presence of platinum and tungsten' by Harry Work Melville and E B LudlamDecember 1931
RR/48/129Second referee's report by David Leonard Chapman, on a paper 'The photochemistry of phosphine' by Harry Work Melville[November 1932]
RR/54/48Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The sorption of hydrogen and deuterium by copper and palladium II-The sorption by palladium and diffusion through copper' by Harry Work Melville and Eric Keightley RidealJuly 1935
RR/58/94Referee's report by Ronald George Wreyford Norrish, on a paper 'The mercury photosensitized exchange reaction of deuterium and phosphine' by Harry Work Melville and J. L. BollandJanuary 1937
RR/59/68Referee's report by Alfred Charles Glyn Egerton, on a paper 'The mercury photosensitized exchange reactions of deuterium with ammonia, methane, and water' by A Farkas and Harry Work Melville[July 1936]
RR/71/19Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies in polymerization - III. The polymerization of methyl methacrylate' by Clement Henry Bamford and Michael James Stewart Dewar [1948]
RR/73/296Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Aspects of polymerization at high pressure' by F M Merrett and Ronald George Wreyford Norrish19 December 1950
RR/73/204Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The non-stationary state in chemical kinetics. I. The theory of the method' by C M Burrell, T G Majury & Harry Work Melville FRS1950
RR/73/172Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Interferometric studies in diffusion. II. Influence of concentration and orientation on diffusion in cellulose acetate' by J Crank & C Robinson20 July 1950
RR/73/206Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The non-stationary state in chemical kinetics. III. The determination of rates of polymerization and of radical life-times' by T G Marjury and Harry Work Melville FRS1950
RR/73/205Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The non-stationary state in chemical kinetics. II. The operation and performance of the instrument' by T G Marjury and Harry Work Melville FRS1950
RR/73/66Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'Studies in copolymerization The evaluation of the kinetic coefficients for the system styrene-butyl acrylate' by E J Arlman and Harry Work Melville18 May 1950
RR/77/130Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Activation energies and frequency factors in the thermal decomposition of paraffin hydrocarbons' by M G Peard, F J Stubbs and Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood21 July 1952
RR/73/291Referee's report by Ronald George Wreyford Norrish, on a paper 'A refractometric method for following the non-stationary state of chemical reactions' by N Grassie and Harry Work Melville10 January 1951
RR/73/31Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines. V. Results obtained for a further series of compounds' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb25 January 1950
RR/75/41Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Flame propagation in mixtures of combustible gases. I. The effects of organic substances on the upper limits of inflammability of some hydrogen-carbon monoxide-air mixtures' by G Dixon-Lewis and J W Linnett26 February 1951
RR/73/30Referee's report by Meredith Gwynne Evans, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines. V. Results obtained for a further series of compounds' by Harry Work Melville and J C Robb4 March 1950
RR/75/43Copy of referees' comments on a paper 'Flame propagation in mixtures of combustible gases. I. The effects of organic substances on the upper limits of inflammability of some hydrogen-carbon monoxide-air mixtures' by G Dixon-Lewis and J W Linnett[1951]
RR/75/281Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The activation energy of the parahydrogen conversion on tungsten' by A Couper and Daniel Douglas Eley3 November 1951
RR/75/280Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The reversible dissociation of hydrogen molecules and the paragraph hydrogen conversion' by A Couper and Daniel Douglas Eley3 November 1951
RR/75/216Letter from Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'High polymer solutions' by T B Grimley, to D C Martin10 January 1952
RR/77/92Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Crosslinking of polythene by pile radiation' by A Charlesby13 June 1952
RR/75/167Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The vapour pressure of hydrogen sulphide' by A M Clark and A H Cockett11 July 1951
RR/75/220Referee's report by Edmund John Bowen, on a paper 'The photo-degradation of polymethyl methacrylate I The mechanics of degradation' by P R E J Cowley and Harry Work Melville15 September 1951
RR/79/271Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Gel formation and molecular weight distribution in long chain polymers' by A Charlesby2 November 1953
RR/79/276Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The degradation of solid polymethyl methacrylate by ionizing radiation' by P Alexander, A Charlesby and M Ross24 November 1953
RR/75/217Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'High polymer solutions' by T B Grimley9 January 1952
RR/75/221Referee's report by Edmund John Bowen, on a paper 'The photo-degradation of polymethyl methacrylate II Evaluation of absolute rate constants for a depolymerization reaction' by P R E J Cowley and Harry Work Melville15 September 1951
RR/77/207Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The thermal decomposition of normal paraffin hydrocarbons' by C G Silcocks and Morris William Travers29 October 1952
RR/79/196Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The crosslinking and degradation of paraffin chains by high energy radiation' by A Charlesby20 August 1953
RR/79/4Referee's report by Edward David Hughes, on a paper 'The kinetics of the oxidation of mixtures of benzaldehyde and n-decaldehyde' by T A Ingles and Harry Work Melville27 January 1953
RR/79/5Referee's report by Edward David Hughes, on a paper 'The kinetics of the photo-oxidation of benzaldhyde' by T A Ingles and Harry Work Melville2 February 1953
RR/79/36Referee's report by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, on a paper 'The kinetics of the interaction of atomic hydrogen with olefines. VI. An extension of the method and application to substituted olefines and aromatics' by P E M Allen, Harry Work Melville and J C Robb21 February 1953
RR/79/52Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies of the variations in bond dissociation energies of aromatic compounds. I. Mono-bromo-aryles' by M Ladacki and Michael Szwarc29 March 1953
RR/79/123Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The catalysis of the para-hydrogen conversion by the solid free radical aa-diphenyl-B-picryl hydrazyl' by L G Harrison and C A McDowell12 June 1953
RR/79/232Referee's report by Eric Keightley Rideal, on a paper 'Self-branching in the polymerization of styrene' by J C Bevington, G M Guzman and Harry Work Melville8 September 1953
RR/79/254Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies in polymerization. VII. The polymerization of N-carboxy-a-amino acid anhydrides' by D G H Ballard and Clement Henry Bamford6 November 1953
RR/79/219Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Measurement of diffusion coefficients' by P C Carman and R A W Haul5 September 1953
RR/79/229Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'An essay on free products of groups with amalgamations' by Bernhard Hermann Neumann5 September 1953
RR/79/53Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Studies of the variations in bond dissociation energies of aromatic compounds. II. Substituted bromobenzenes' by Michael Szwarc and Dionysius Williams30 March 1953
RR/75/46Copy of referees' comments, on a paper 'Flame propagation in mixtures of combustible gases. II. Some properties of mixtures of hydrogen, organic substances and air at their upper limits of inflammability' by G Dixon Lewis and J W Linnett[1951]
RR/75/240Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The oxidation of hexane in the cool flame region' by H C Bailey and Ronald George Wreyford Norrish12 October 1951
RR/79/233Referee's report by Eric Keightley Rideal, on a paper 'Self-branching in the polymerization of vinyl acetate' by J C Bevington, G M Guzman and Harry Work Melville8 September 1953
RR/79/170Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Calculations of the lower excited electronic energy levels of cyclobutadiene and benzene' by W Moffitt and J Scanlan17 July 1953
RR/75/44Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Flame propagation in mixtures of combustible gases. II. Some properties of mixtures of hydrogen, organic substances and air at their upper limits of inflammability' by G Dixon Lewis and J W Linnett26 February 1951
RR/73/183Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'Statistical kinetics of hevea rubber cyclization' by M Gordon24 August 1950
RR/77/210Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The thermal decomposition of normal paraffin hydrocarbons' by C G Silcocks and Morris William Travers20 August 1953
RR/77/253Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The mechanism and the kinetics of the heterogeneous polymerization of vinyl monomers. 2. The benzoyl peroxide catalyzed polymerization of vinylidene chloride' by W I Bengough and Ronald George Wreyford Norrish2 January 1953
RR/77/254Referee's report by Harry Work Melville, on a paper 'The mechanism and kinetics of heterogeneous polymerization of vinyl monomers. 3. The benzoyl peroxide catalyzed copolymerization of vinyl and vinylidene chlorides' by W I Bengough and Ronald George Wreyford Norrish2 January 1953
RR/79/253Referee's report by Eric Keightley Rideal, on a paper 'The copolymerization of styrene and butyl acrylate in benzene solution' by J H Bradbury and Harry Work Melville5 November 1953
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