Trevor Illtyd Williams
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Trevor Illtyd Williams MA BSc DPhil CChem FRSC FRHistS | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 July 1921 Bristol |
| Died | 12 October 1996 (aged 75) Oxford |
| Alma mater | The Queen's College Oxford |
| Occupations | Chemist, historian, author and editor |
| Years active | 1942-1996 |
| Notable work | A Biographical Dictionary of Scientists (1968); The Chemical Industry Past and Present (1953); A Short History of Technology (with Thomas K Derry) (1960) |
| Board member of | See text |
| Spouse | Sylvia Irène Armstead 1952 |
| Children | 5 (4 sons, 1 daughter) |
| Parent(s) | Illtyd Williams and Alma Mathilde Sohlberg |
Trevor Illtyd Williams (16 July 1921 – 12 October 1996) was a British chemist; a historian of science; a science author; and a journal editor. He sat on a number of science advisory committees, steering groups and related bodies.
Clifton College, Bristol. Queen's College, Oxford: BSc, MA, and DPhil on the isolation of helvolic acid and other antibiotics.[1]
Career
Williams was an author and the editor of a number of science journals and a member of several science advisory committees, steering groups and councils.[1][2]
Author
Trevor Williams was an author on a range of scientific topics, particularly chemistry.[3] His most significant contribution is considered[4] to be his A Biographical Dictionary of Scientists (1968).[4] His book The Chemical Industry Past and Present (1953) was republished as an Open University set book for science and technology courses. In his foreword to A History of the British Gas Industry he states that ‘I have been interested in the history of science and technology, both as a discipline in its own right and as a complement to political, economic and social history’. He goes on to say that the British gas industry ‘has a particular appeal’ for there are few industries which so clearly ‘illustrate the consequences of the interplay of all these factors’.[5]
Editor
Williams was editor of the following journals:[1]
- Endeavour, (deputy editor then editor), 1945–94
- Annals of Science, (editor), 1966–74
- Outlook on Agriculture, (editor), 1982–89
Other posts
He was appointed by ICI Ltd as an Academic Relations Advisor, 1962–74, where he was involved in the distribution of postdoctoral fellowships and research grants, and took part in negotiations between universities, industry and government.[4]
Williams was a member of the following organisations:[1]
- Society for the Study of Alchemy and Early Chemistry, chair, 1967–86
- English Language Book Society, Steering Committee member, 1984–90
- Science Museum, advisory Council member, 1972–84
- World List of Scientific Periodicals, chair, 1966–88
- Council of University College Swansea, member, 1965–83
Awards and achievements
Williams received the Dexter Award of the American Chemical Society in 1976, for his contribution to the history of chemistry.[4]
He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS).[3]