Organic Chemistry at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow: Appointment of Dr. F. S. Spring

Abstract

THE chair of organic chemistry at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, last occupied by the late Forsyth James Wilson, has now been filled by the appointment of Dr. F. S. Spring, of the University of Manchester. Dr. Spring graduated with honours in chemistry at the University of Liverpool in 1928, and while holding a United Alkali research scholarship followed by a University fellowship he carried out research on the chemistry of the sterols with Prof. I. M. Heilbron, being duly awarded the Ph.D. degree. His first academic appointment was as assistant lecturer in organic chemistry at Manchester in 1930, under the late Prof. Lapworth. With the appointment of I. M. Heilbron to Manchester on the retirement of Lapworth, the Heilbron and Spring collaboration was resumed, and many papers, particularly on the chemistry of ergosterol, vitamin D and related compounds, testified to the success of the collaboration. With the departure of Heilbron to the Imperial College, London, Spring continued his interest in the chemistry of natural products, going on to studies in the triterpene group and especially the constitution of the α- and β-amyrins. He was awarded the D.Sc. (Manchester) in 1937, and made a senior lecturer in 1941. More recently, with an active research team, he has broken new ground in studies on the application of the Hofmann reaction to the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, and in addition has carried out investigations for the Colonial Products Research Council.