Ian Heilbron

Isidor Morris Heilbron was born in Glasgow on 6 November 1886 to a wine merchant (David Heilbron) and his wife (Fanny Jessel).{{Cite web|url=https://universitystory.gla.ac.uk/ww1-biography/?id=58|title=University of Glasgow :: Story : Biography of Lieutenant Colonel Isidore Morris Heilbron|website=universitystory.gla.ac.uk|access-date=25 March 2020}} He was Jewish.{{Cite book|title=The Palgrave dictionary of Anglo-Jewish history|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|editor1=Rubinstein, W. D.|editor2=Jolles, Michael|editor3=Rubinstein, Hilary L.|year=2011|isbn=978-0-230-30466-6|editor1-link=William Rubinstein|editor3-link=Hilary L. Rubinstein|location=Basingstoke|pages=410|oclc=793104984}}{{Cite journal|last=Levy|first=A.|date=1955|title=The Origins of Scottish Jewry|journal=Transactions (Jewish Historical Society of England)|volume=19|pages=129–162|jstor=29777950|issn=2047-2331}}

He was educated at Glasgow High School and then the Royal Technical College with G. G. Henderson. Following an award of a Carnegie Fellowship he went to the University of Leipzig to study under Arthur Rudolf Hantzsch for his doctoral thesis (1907–1910).{{Cite web|url=http://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/priestley/recipients/1945heilbron.html?|title=Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1945: Ian Morris Heilbron (1886–1959)|website=pubsapp.acs.org|access-date=2020-03-25}}

He was awarded a Ph.D. He received a D.Sc. at the University of Glasgow in 1918 for his 'Contribution to the Study of Semi-carbazones' and other papers.

He served in the Royal Army Service Corps (1910–1920). He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order in 1918 for distinguished service related to operations in Salonika. He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the Redeemer by the Greek government. He achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel, Assistant Director of Supplies.{{Cite journal|date=1 February 1940|title=Isador M. Heilbron (1881–)|journal=Journal of Chemical Education|volume=17|issue=2|pages=51|doi=10.1021/ed017p51|bibcode=1940JChEd..17...51.|issn=0021-9584}}

During the Second World War from 1939 to 1942 he worked as a scientific advisor to the Department of Scientific Research in the Ministry of Supply. After 1942 he became a scientific advisor to the Ministry of Production.{{cn|date=January 2023}}

His independent research career focused on the chemistry of natural products, including work on sterols, vitamin D, vitamin A, polyene synthesis, Squalene, terpenes, pyrylium salts, algal pigments, and spiropyrans. He was also instrumental in the development of DDT to fight malaria and yellow fever.{{Cite journal|last=Heilbron|first=I. M.|title=The New Insecticidal Material DDT|date=1945|journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Arts|volume=93|issue=4682|pages=65–71|jstor=41361779|issn=0035-9114}} Heilbron, with Arthur Herbert Cook, also studied the synthesis and structure of penicillin.{{Cite journal|last1=Billimoria|first1=J. D.|last2=Cook|first2=A. H.|last3=Heilbron|first3=Ian|date=1949|title=307. Studies in the azole series. Part XVI. Synthesis of a new analogue of penicillamine|url=http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=jr9490001437|journal=Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed)|language=en|pages=1437–1440|doi=10.1039/jr9490001437|issn=0368-1769}}

• Lecturer, Royal Technical College, 1909–14
• Scientist, later consultant at British Dyestuffs Corp. (later renamed Imperial Chemical Industries)
• Professor of organic chemistry, Royal Technical College, 1919–20
• Professor, University of Liverpool, 1920–33 (Heath Harrison Chair of Organic Chemistry)
• Professor, University of Manchester, 1933-8 (Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry, 1935-8)
• Professor of Organic Chemistry and Director of the Laboratories, Imperial College, 1938–49
• 1949: Retired from academic research
• Director, Brewing Industry Research Foundation, 1949–58
• Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Royal Military College of Science
• International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry
• Editor-in-chief of the “Dictionary of Organic Compounds” and
• Chairman of the editorial board of “Thorpe’s Dictionary of Applied Chemistry.”

Source:{{Cite web|url=https://academictree.org/chemistry/tree.php?pid=52042|title=Chemistry Tree – Ian (Isidore) Morris Heilbron Family Tree|website=academictree.org|access-date=2020-03-25}}

• Frank Stuart Spring, graduate student (1930)

• [https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=52736 Basil Lythgoe], graduate student, (1936)
• Ewart Ray Herbert Jones, post-doc (1938)

• [https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=66933 Stanley H. Harper], graduate student (1937)
• Derek Harold Richard Barton, graduate student (1942)
• Basil Weedon, graduate student, (1942)
• Ralph Alexander Raphael, graduate student (1943)
• [https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=70179 Ernest A. R. Braude], graduate student (1944)
• [https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=86892 John Arthur Elvidge], graduate student (1947)
• Franz Sondheimer, graduate student (1948)
• Marc Julia, graduate student (1948){{Cite book|last=Gay|first=Hannah|title=The Chemistry Department at Imperial College, London : a history, 1845–2000|others=Griffith, W. P. (William Pettitt), 1936–|year=2016|isbn=978-1-78326-974-7|location=New Jersey|pages=227|oclc=965146304}}

• [https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=57243 Alan Woodworth Johnson], research scientist (1946)

• Richard Alan Morton{{cite journal |last1=Goodwin |first1=T W |title=R. A. Morton |journal=Nature |date=1977 |volume=266 |issue=5600 |page=394 |doi=10.1038/266394a0 |bibcode=1977Natur.266..394G |s2cid=31211784 |doi-access=free }}

• 1911: Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry (F.I.C.)
• 1931: Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
• 1939: Longstaff Medal of the Chemical Society of London
• 1943: Davy Medal from the Royal Society "In recognition of his many notable contributions to organic chemistry, especially to the chemistry of natural products of physiological importance"
• 1945: The American Chemical Society honored him with its highest prize, the Priestley Medal. This was the first time the award went to a non-American.
• 1946: In recognition of his work during war he was appointed a Knight Bachelor
• 1951: Royal Medal from the Royal Society

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Category:1959 deaths

Category:1886 births

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Category:Jewish British scientists