Graham Richards

Graham Richards was born on 1 October 1939 in Hoylake, England, to Percy Richards and Gwendoline Julia Richards (née Evans).Entry in Register of Births for Wirral 4th qtr of 1939 vol 8a page 1143 William G born to Richards and Evans Both parents were of Welsh extraction. Richards was educated at Birkenhead School. He won a scholarship to Brasenose College, Oxford, starting his studies there in 1958.{{cite journal

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He received his bachelor's degree in Chemistry with first class honours from the University of Oxford{{cite journal|last1=Howard|first1=Brian J.|last2=Grant|first2=Guy H.|title=(William) Graham Richards|journal=Molecular Physics|date= 2009|volume=101|issue=17|pages=2647–2657|doi=10.1080/00268970310001605741

|s2cid=95031061}} in 1961.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} He then studied the electronic spectroscopy of diatomic molecules with Richard F. Barrow, earning his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy{{cite thesis|degree=DPhil|publisher=University of Oxford|url=https://copac.jisc.ac.uk/id/41488337?style=html|title=Electronic spectra of simple molecules|first=William Graham|last=Richards|date=1964|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.710535}}|access-date=5 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207072311/https://copac.jisc.ac.uk/id/41488337?style=html|url-status=dead}} degrees from the University of Oxford in 1964.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

After his DPhil, Richards continued his spectroscopic work with fellowships in Oxford (ICI Research Fellowship, Junior Research Fellowship at Balliol College) and Paris, France (Centre de Mécanique Ondulatoire Appliquée).{{cite web|title=W. Graham Richards|url=https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=66025|website=Chemistry Tree|access-date=23 May 2018}}

He soon returned to Oxford as a research fellow at Balliol College, Oxford (1964–1966). He was promoted to a lecturer at Oxford University (1966–1994), to reader (1994–1996), and to professor (1996–2007). He served as chairman of the chemistry department from 1997 to 2006. Richards celebrated his formal retirement from the University of Oxford on 18 May 2007.{{cite journal|title=An address given by Graham Richards on the occasion of his retirement dinner 19 May 2007 |url=https://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/downloads/brazen_notes/brazen_nose_2007.pdf|journal=The Brazen Nose|volume=41 |pages=127–129|date=2007 |access-date=23 May 2018}} He was {{when|date=February 2019}} an Emeritus Fellow of Brasenose College.{{cite web|title=Professor Graham Richards in top 100 British Scientists list|url=https://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/about-brasenose/news/857-professor-graham-richards-in-top-100-british-scientists-list|website=Brasenose College|access-date=24 May 2018}}

In the fourth year of his degree course Richards' research project led him to using Oxford's Ferranti Mercury computer to solve integrals.

During a fellowship year in France at Centre de Mécanique Ondulatoire Appliquée, he was able to use more powerful computers.{{cite book|last1=Richards|first1=Graham|title=50 years at Oxford|date=2011|publisher=AuthorHouse|location=Bloomington, IN|isbn=978-1-4567-7861-3|pages=19–20|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q4GwJFtof68C&pg=PA19|access-date=24 May 2018}}

Returning to Oxford, he worked on ab initio computations and applied computational techniques to solving quantum mechanical problems in theoretical chemistry, in particular studying spin-orbit coupling.

His influential paper Third age of quantum chemistry (1979) marked the development of computational techniques for theoretical analysis whose precision equaled or surpassed experimental results.{{cite book|last1=McDouall|first1=Joseph J.W.|title=Computational quantum chemistry : molecular structure and properties in silico|date=2013|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-1-84973-608-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AmwoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15}}{{cite book|last1=Yarkony|first1=David R.|title=Modern electronic structure theory.|date=1995|publisher=World Scientific|location=Singapore|isbn=978-981-283-211-5|page=4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p7vACwAAQBAJ&pg=PA4|access-date=25 May 2018}}{{cite journal|last1=Richards|first1=Graham|title=Third age of quantum chemistry|journal=Nature|date=5 April 1979|volume=278|issue=5704|pages=507–8|doi=10.1038/278507a0|pmid=431715|bibcode=1979Natur.278..507R|s2cid=38282128|doi-access=free}}

{{blockquote|"The work represents perhaps a near perfect instance of theory being in harmony with experiment, each aspect vital to the other and the combination much more than the sum of the separate parts." – Graham Richards}}

Richards saw the potential to apply computer techniques for examining the structure and properties of compounds in the area of pharmaceutical applications. He became a pioneer in the field of computer-aided molecular design. He was the first to produce coloured images modelling molecular structure graphically, and introduced many of the techniques now widely used in academia and industry.

In 1982, Richards became a founding member of the Molecular Graphics Society (now the Molecular Graphics and Modelling Society, MGMS).{{cite web|title=Honorary Members of the MGMS Community|url=https://www.mgms.org/membership.html|website=Molecular Graphics and Modelling Society|access-date=23 May 2018}} The society started the Journal of Molecular Graphics in 1983. He served as the editor-in-chief of the journal from 1984 to 1996. The journal's name changed to Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling in 1997.{{cite journal|last1=Willett|first1=P.|title=A bibliometric analysis of the Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling|journal=Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling|date=2007|volume=26|issue=3|pages=602–606|url=http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/3544/1/willettp-1.pdf|access-date=25 May 2018|doi=10.1016/j.jmgm.2007.03.008|pmid=17434326|s2cid=20443291 }}

In 1989, Richards was the scientific co-founder (with Tony Marchington, David Ricketts, James Hiddleston, and Anthony Rees) of Oxford Molecular Limited. The company developed software for modelling of small molecules and proteins, and drug design.{{cite book|last1=Sadek|first1=Hassan A.|title=Bioinformatics : principles, basic internet applications|page=28|date=2004 |isbn=978-1-4120-2517-1|publisher=Trafford|location=Victoria, B.C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NPByF1XHsQMC&pg=PA28|access-date=23 May 2018}}

The company was possible in part because of economic and legal changes under the government of Margaret Thatcher that enabled British universities to become involved with venture capital and technology transfer. As Oxford Molecular Group, Ltd. (OMG) the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1992, making the university £10 million. The company was worth £450 million at its peak but was eventually sold for £70 million. It was one of several companies that combined to form Accelrys in 2001.{{cite web|author=Accelrys |title=Pharmacopeia Inc. Announces Accelrys, a New Leader in Scientific Software – Accelrys to Represent the Best in Software for Chemical and Pharmaceutial Research|url=http://www.evaluategroup.com/Universal/View.aspx?type=Story&id=8567|access-date=25 May 2018|website=Evaluate|date=2 April 2001}}

Richards was instrumental in raising £64 million to fund a new laboratory for Oxford University through an innovative funding approach. £20 million worth of funding began with an "unusual collaboration" between Richards and David Norwood. Norwood then arranged for Beeson-Gregory to provide £20 million in exchange for half the University's equity share of any spin-out companies emanating from the Chemistry Department for 15 years. In 2003, Beeson-Gregory and Evolution Group merged, later creating a subsidiary, IP2IPO ("Intellectual property to initial public offering").{{cite book|last1=Owen|first1=Geoffrey|last2=Hopkins|first2=Michael M.|title=Science, the State and the City: Britain's Struggle to Succeed in Biotechnology|date=2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-872800-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cBz4CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA83|access-date=23 May 2018}}{{cite book|last1=Lawton-Smith|first1=Helen|title=Universities and the economy|date=2005|publisher=Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd|location=London|isbn=978-0-415-32493-9|page=188|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HR6AAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA188|access-date=23 May 2018}}

Richards became a non-executive director of IP2IPO in 2001, and non-executive chairman of IP2IPO in 2004.{{cite web|title=Graham Richards to become Non-Executive Chairman of the Company|url=http://www.ipgroupplc.com/media/ip-group-news/pre-2007/2004-08-10|website=IP Group|access-date=23 May 2018}}

Through this arrangement the Chemistry Department has contributed over £100 million to the University of Oxford.

Richards served as a director of ISIS Innovation Ltd., the University of Oxford's technology transfer company. It became Oxford University Innovation as of June 2016.{{cite web|title=Isis Innovation becomes Oxford University Innovation|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/staff/news-listing/2016-06-23-isis-innovation-becomes-oxford-university-innovation|website=University of Oxford|access-date=25 May 2018|date=23 June 2016}}

It has brought around 60 spin-out companies into existence.{{cite news|last1=Nordling|first1=Linda|title=Spin-out doctor|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/feb/10/graham-richards|access-date=23 May 2018|work=The Guardian|date=9 February 2009}}

The Financial Times has described the approach as "the way universities should be financed in the future".{{rp|188}}

Richards also introduced the use of distributed computing in pharmaceutical design. Started in 2000, his Screensaver Lifesaver project exploited idle time on more than 3.5 million personal computers in over 200 countries, whose owners agreed to be involved and downloaded the project's screensaver. Using idle time from these computers, the project's software created a virtual supercomputer that screened billions of compounds against protein targets, searching for possible drug treatments for cancer, anthrax and smallpox.{{cite journal|last1=Collins|first1=Luke |title=Hooked to computers|journal=IEE Review |date=2003 |volume=49|issue=10|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1250444|access-date=25 May 2018}}

The project involved collaboration between Intel, United Devices, and the Centre for Computational Drug Discovery at the University of Oxford, headed by Richards and funded by the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR).{{cite news|last1=Freemantle |first1=Michael|work=Chemical and Engineering News |title=PC users can help cancer research |url=http://pubs.acs.org/cen/topstory/7915/7915notw3.html|access-date=25 May 2018 |volume=79|issue=15|page=6|date=9 April 2001}}

Richards formed the spin-out company InhibOx Ltd. in 2001.{{cite web|last1=Sansom|first1=Clare |title=Countdown to the last antibiotic|date= March 2018 |url=https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/the-antibiotic-countdown/3008544.article|website=Chemistry World|access-date=25 May 2018}} InhibOx applied cloud computing techniques to computational chemistry and drug discovery, and developed a searchable database of small-molecules called Scopius.{{cite web|title=UOA08-09: Computational chemistry to facilitate drug development|url=https://impact.ref.ac.uk/CaseStudies/CaseStudy.aspx?Id=18224|website=REF2014|access-date=25 May 2018}} In 2002, Richards donated his shares, twenty-five per cent of the company, to the National Foundation for Cancer Research.{{cite news|last1=Simpkins|first1=Edward|title=Cancer professor gives shares to charity|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2746669/Cancer-professor-gives-shares-to-charity.html|access-date=23 May 2018|work=The Telegraph|date=23 December 2001}}{{cite web|last1=Stoller|first1=Robyn|title=NFCR-Funded Project in Early 2000s Leads to Progress Today in Computational Drug Design|url=https://www.nfcr.org/blog/blognfcr-funded-project-early-2000s-leads-progress-today-computational-drug-design/|access-date=24 May 2018|website=National Foundation for Cancer Research|date=21 March 2017}} In 2017, InhibOx relaunched as Oxford Drug Design Ltd.,{{cite web|title=Head-to-head with Paul Finn at Oxford Drug Design|url=http://theoxfordtrust.co.uk/2018/02/12/head-head-paul-finn-oxford-drug-design/|website=The Oxford Trust|access-date=25 May 2018|date=12 February 2018|archive-date=26 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526112706/http://theoxfordtrust.co.uk/2018/02/12/head-head-paul-finn-oxford-drug-design/|url-status=dead}} with a new focus on antibiotic discovery.

{{As of |2011}} Richards joined the Science Advisory Panel of Oxford Medical Diagnostics.

He was a non-executive director of IP Group plc, having also served as its chairman.{{cite web|last1=Mawson|first1=James|title=Investment Unit of the Year: IP Group The UK-based investor wins this year's investment award|website=Global University Venturing|date=22 October 2014|url=http://www.globaluniversityventuring.com/article.php/4045/investment-unit-of-the-year-ip-group|access-date=25 May 2018|archive-date=26 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526042038/http://www.globaluniversityventuring.com/article.php/4045/investment-unit-of-the-year-ip-group|url-status=dead}}

Richards married his first wife, Jessamy Kershaw, on 12 December 1970. She died of cancer in November 1988. On 5 October 1996, Richards married Mary Elizabeth Phillips, director of research planning at University College London. He had two sons and three stepchildren. Richards died on 11 February 2025, at the age of 85.{{cite news|title=Professor Graham Richards|url=https://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/about-brasenose/news/2909-professor-graham-richards/|access-date=25 May 2018|work=Brasenose College|date=12 February 2025}}

• {{cite journal|last1=Richards|first1=W. G.|title=Quantum pharmacology|journal=Endeavour|volume=8|issue=4|pages=172–8|date=1976|publisher=Butterworths|location=London; Boston|isbn=978-0-408-70950-7|edition=1st|pmid=6210194|doi=10.1016/0160-9327(84)90081-4}}
• {{cite book|last1=Richards|first1=W. Graham|title=The problems of chemistry|date=1986|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-219191-5|url=https://archive.org/details/problemsofchemis00rich_0}}
• {{cite book|editor-last1=Richards|editor-first1=W. Graham|title=Computer-aided molecular design|date=1989|publisher=IBC Technical Services|location=London|isbn=978-0-89573-738-0}}
• {{cite book|last1=Grant|first1=Guy H.|last2=Richards|first2=W. Graham|title=Computational chemistry|date=1995|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford [England] |isbn=978-0-19-855740-1 |edition=1st}}
• {{cite book|last1=Richards|first1=W. Graham|title=Spin-outs : creating businesses from university intellectual property|date=2008|publisher=Harriman House|location=Petersfield, Hampshire |isbn=978-1-905641-98-7|url=http://s1.downloadmienphi.net/file/downloadfile4/206/1391132.pdf}}
• {{cite book|last1=Richards|first1=Graham|title=50 years at Oxford|date=2011|publisher=AuthorHouse|location=Bloomington, IN|isbn=978-1-4567-7861-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q4GwJFtof68C&pg=PA19}}{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Derry|title=Review: Richards at Oxford |url=https://www.chemistryworld.com/review/richards-at-oxford/3006594.article|website=Chemistry World|date=1 February 2012|access-date=24 May 2018}}

Richards was a council member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and of the Royal Institution, and a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to Chemistry.United Kingdom {{London Gazette| issue=56237 |date=16 June 2001|pages=9 |supp=1}} The Times Higher Education Supplement (2006) considered Richards to be one of twelve academic "super-earners" in the United Kingdom.{{cite news|last1=Shepherd|first1=J.|title=Academics strike gold|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/academics-strike-gold/200836.article|access-date=24 May 2018|work=Times Higher Education Supplement|date=20 January 2006|page=1}}

Times magazine's first Eureka issue (2010) included Richards in its list of the top 100 British scientists.{{cite news|title=Eureka 100: the people that matter The 100 most important people in British science|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/eureka-100-the-people-that-matter-bxd3ss79tb5|access-date=24 May 2018|work=The Times|issue=Eureka|date=7 October 2010}} Richards' work has been acknowledged through a number of more formal awards and honours, including:

• 2018, Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS){{cite web|title=Graham Richards|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/graham-richards-13838/|website=The Royal Society|access-date=23 May 2018}}
• 2018, Richard J. Bolte Sr. Award by the Science History Institute{{cite web|title= Richard J. Bolte Sr. Award for Supporting Industries |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/richard-j-bolte-sr-award-for-supporting-industries|website=Science History Institute|access-date=1 February 2018|date=31 May 2016}}
• 2017, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (HonFRSC){{cite web|title=Honorary Fellows at the Royal Society of Chemistry|url=https://www.rsc.org/about-us/our-history/our-honorary-fellows/#undefined|access-date=14 February 2025|website=Royal Society of Chemistry}}
• 2011, Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales{{cite web|title=Fellows|url=https://www.learnedsociety.wales/our-fellows/fellows/|website=The Learned Society of Wales|access-date=25 May 2018}}
• 2010, Co-Vice-President of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• 2004, Award of the American Chemical Society for Computers in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research{{cite journal|title=AWARDS|journal=Chemical & Engineering News|date=September 2003|volume=81|issue=35|pages=33–34|doi=10.1021/cen-v081n035.p033|doi-access=free}}{{cite web|title=ACS Award for Computers in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/national/bytopic/acs-award-for-computers-in-chemical-and-pharmaceutical-research.html|website=American Chemical Society|access-date=25 May 2018}}{{cite journal|last1=Richards|first1=W. Graham|title=From Diatomics to Drugs and Distributions|journal=Journal of Medicinal Chemistry|date=January 2005|volume=48|issue=2|pages=337–344|doi=10.1021/jm040136y|pmid=15658845}}
• 2001, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Queen's Birthday Honours{{cite web|title=REPORT OF DR. LEE'S PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st JULY 2001|url=http://ptclweb.chem.ox.ac.uk/Data/Sites/52/media/annrep01.pdf|website=University of Oxford|access-date=25 May 2018|archive-date=26 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226094400/http://ptclweb.chem.ox.ac.uk/Data/Sites/52/media/annrep01.pdf|url-status=dead}}
• 1996, The Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran Award, Foundation for Science and Technology{{cite journal|title=The Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran Award: Previous winners of the award|journal=The Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology |date=July 2007|volume=19|issue=5|page=23|url=http://www.foundation.org.uk/journal/pdf/fst_19_05.pdf|access-date=25 May 2018}}
• 1998, Mullard Award, Royal Society
• 1972, Marlow Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry{{cite web|title=Marlow Award Previous Winners|url=http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Awards/MarlowAward/PreviousWinners.asp|website=Royal Society of Chemistry|access-date=25 May 2018}}

{{Reflist}}

{{FRS 2018}}

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Category:1939 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:People from Hoylake

Category:People educated at Birkenhead School

Category:Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford

Category:Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:English chemists

Category:Theoretical chemists

Category:Biotechnologists

Category:British computational chemists

Category:Fellows of the Royal Society

Category:Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales

Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Chemistry