Professor Frank S. Stone, 1925–2018: The Life of a Solid State and Catalytic Chemist

Abstract

With the passing of Frank Sidney Stone on 5 March 2018 in Dorset, England, the solid state chemistry and the catalysis scientific communities lost a highly respected elder statesman. Always a gentleman, he was pleasant, unassuming and very knowledgeable with what might be described as a serious sense of humour that made his speeches especially entertaining. He was born and based throughout his life in the Bristol area of England. During World War II he was an undergraduate at the University of Bristol and after completing a PhD he was appointed an Assistant Lecturer and his career continued with an appointment as a Lecturer in 1951 and Reader in the mid-1960s. Perhaps because he was not promoted further in 1972 he moved to the nearby University of Bath as Professor of Chemistry. Here he held several important positions including that of Pro-Vice-Chancellor (1984 to 1987) and he formally retired in 1991. Then as Emeritus Professor he maintained a university office continuing as the long serving European Editor of the Journal of Catalysis until 1996. Stone’s first research involved copper and copper oxides and throughout his c career he worked with metal oxides and he did much to incorporate modern solid-state science into traditional heterogeneous catalysis that underpinned important advances made during the latter half of the twentieth century.