- James Johnston Dobbie
James Johnston Dobbie, (Born: 4 August 1852,
Glasgow ; Died: 19 June 1924, Fairlie) was known for the isolation, chemical structure, and physical properties (especially UV and visible spectra) of alkaloids. He isolatedhydroxycodeine from opium and synthesized diphenylene. He carried out UV-VIS spectra of gaseous main group elements and organic compounds.He received his DSc in 1879 from the
University of Edinburgh underWilliam Ramsay . However the DSc work was carried out at theUniversity of Glasgow , but since Glasgow did not award science degrees at the time, the DSc degree was awarded at Edinburgh.Dobbie was appointed first head of chemistry at
Bangor University , then the University College of North Wales, in 1884 and built the department up in its early years. He was director of the Royal Scottish Museum from 1903 to 1909, and principal of the Government Laboratory, London from 1909 to 1920. He was appointed President in theRoyal Institute of Chemistry from 1915-1917 and was elected president of theChemical Society in 1919. He was elected a Fellow of theRoyal Society in 1904. He was knighted in 1915. [ [http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=CT9242502677&JournalCode=CT Royal Society of Chemistry archive of his obituary] ]References
* "J. Chem. Soc. Trans." 1924, 125, pp. 2681-2690.
* "Proc. Roy. Soc. A" 1925, 107, pp. vi-viii.
* "Dictionary of Scientific Biography," Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970-1990, vol. 11, p. 278b.
*J. R. Partington , "A History of Chemistry," Macmillan, 1964, vol. 4, p. 840.
* "Proc. Am. Acad. Arts Sci." 1952, 81, pp. 47-49.
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