John Roundell Palmer, fourth Earl of Selborne. 24 March 1940—12 February 2021

Abstract

Occasionally, the Royal Society confers a fellowship on individuals not because of distinction in any one branch of science but rather for their contribution to science as a whole. Among that select group of Fellows was John Roundell Palmer, fourth Earl of Selborne GBE DL FRS, who was elected in 1991. A member of the House of Lords for nearly 50 years, a primary focus for his work was the interface between science and technology on the one hand, and policy and legislation on the other. He was elected Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology twice, being involved in some of the defining issues in the science agenda over those times. His involvement in the horticultural and agriculture business of his family's estate in Hampshire made him aware of how science research could be of great benefit to the agricultural sector and society at large. His interest led to his becoming the chair of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), where his ability to achieve a consensus between people with diverse views enabled complex projects to progress. He joined the House of Lords in 1971 as a hereditary peer. In addition, he used his skills and wide-ranging interests to engage with a range of bodies across different sectors. He was at different times: President of the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers (IBG)); Chair of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Chancellor of the University of Southampton; Chair of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Master of the Mercers’ Company; member of the Board of Lloyds Bank plc; Chair of Living with Environmental Change; Chair of the Foundation for Science and Technology; and chair or adviser to many other organizations. His contribution to the dialogue between science policy and society was recognized by the award of KBE in 1987 and GBE in 2011.