William Ramsay

Biography

Abstract

Sir William Ramsay was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air, and his determination of their place in the periodic system." In proving the existence of argon, helium, neon, krypton, and zenon, which make up the entire Nobel Gases column of the Periodic Table of Elements, Ramsay greatly infuenced the field of chemistry.

Important Dates

October 2, 1852Birth, Glasgow (Scotland).

1871Obtained BSc degree, University of Glasgow, Glasgow (Scotland).

1871Postgraduate Research Assistant, University of Tübingen, Tübingen (Germany).

1872Obtained Doctorate for his thesis "Investigations in the Toluic and Nitrotoluic Acids," University of Tübingen, Tübingen (Germany).

1872 – 1874Assistant in Chemistry, Anderson College, Glasgow (Scotland).

1874 – 1880Assistant in Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow (Scotland).

1880 – 1887Principal and Professor of Chemistry, University College, Bristol (England).

1887 – 1913Chair of Inorganic Chemistry, University College, London (England).

1888Fellow, Royal Society.

1894Discovered the element Argon.

1895Dsicovered the element Helium.

1898Discovered the elements Neon, Krsypton, and Zenon.

1902Named Knight Commander of the Order of Bath.

1902Knighted.

1903Discovered Helium in the emanations of Radium.

1903Awarded the A. W. Hofmann Gold Medal.

1904Awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air, and his determination of their place in the periodic system".

1907 – 1909President, Chemical Society of Glasgow.

1911President, British Association for the Advancement of Science.

July 23, 1916Death, High Wycombe (England).

Occupation

Inorganic chemist.

Places

Birth

Glasgow (Scotland)

Undergraduate Education

Glasgow (Scotland)

Graduate Education

Tübingen (Germany)

Employment

Glasgow (Scotland)

Bristol (England)

London (England)

Death

High Wycombe (England)

Subjects

Inorganic chemistry.

Nuclear chemistry.

Relationships

People

Family

Buchanan, Margaret

Wife, married 1881.

Ramsay, Andrew Crombie, 1814-1891

Uncle.

Advisors & Collaborators

Baly, E. C. C. (Edward Charles Cyril), 1871-

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Dobbie, James Johnston 1852-

Advised by Ramsay at University of Edinburgh.

Egerton, Alfred Charles Glyn, Sir

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Fittig, Rudolph, 1835-1910

Advisor at University of Tubingen.

Heyrovský, Jaroslav, 1890-1967

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

James, Charles

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Kelvin, William Thomson, Baron, 1824-1907

Advisor at University of Glasgow.

Lockyer, Norman, Sir, 1836-1920

Collaborated to provide proof of the element Helium.

Masson, David Orme, 1858-1937

Advised by Ramsay at University College, Bristol.

Masson, Irvine, 1887-1962

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Rayleigh, John William Strutt, Baron, 1842-1919

Collaborated to discover the element Argon.

Soddy, Frederick, 1877-1956

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Stewart, Alfred W. (Alfred Walter), 1880-1947

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Usher, Francis Lawry

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Watson, Herbert Edmeston

Advised by Ramsay at University College, London.

Additional

Bancroft, George, 1800-1891

Claude, Georges

Dewar, James

Findlay, Alexander, 1874-1966

Hevesy, Georg von, 1885-1966

Hildebrand, William Francis

Meyer, Stefan

Morley, Edward Williams, 1838-1923

Poynting, J. H. (John Henry), 1852-1914

Roberts-Austen, W. C. (William Chandler), Sir, 1843-1902

Travers, Morris William, 1872-1961

Wrote, "A life of Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S."

Whiting, Sarah Frances

Worthington, A. M. (Arthur Mason), 1852-1916

Institutions

Major Positions

University College, Bristol

Principal and Professor of Chemistry.

University College, London

Chair of Inorganic Chemistry.

University of Glasgow

Received BSc Degree (1871). Assistant in Chemistry, Anderson College.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

British Association for the Advancement of Science

President.

Chemical Society of Glasgow

President.

Royal Society (Great Britain)

Fellow.

Universität Tübingen

Received Doctorate (1872).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Correspondence with Lord Rayleigh about argon, 1887-1907.

private

Royal Commision on Historical Manuscripts

Quality House, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London

William Ramsay papers, 1870-1916.

Archive

University College of London

Gower Street, London WCIE 6BT

Subject

Baron John William Strutt Rayleigh papers, 1864-1919. [microfilm]

Phillips Laboratory. Geophysics Directorate. Research Library.

United States Air Force

Hanscom Air Force Base, MA 01731, USA

Baron John William Strutt Rayleigh papers, 1871-1919.

Contact: via the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts

In private hands

Quality House, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London

Edward Williams Morley papers, 1833-1923 (bulk 1863-1899).

Manuscript Division

Library of Congress

James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA

George Bancroft papers, 1811-1901.

Carl A. Kroch Library. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections

Cornell University

2B Carl A Kroch Library, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

Georges Claude papers, 1908-1975.

Ecole de Physique et Chimie

Paris, France

Georges Claude papers.

Ecole de Physique et Chimie

Paris, France

Items in various series of the Royal Society, 1852-1916.

Royal Society

6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, England UK

Items in various series of the Royal Society, 1875-1901.

Royal Society

6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, England UK

Items in various series of the Royal Society, 1877-1917.

Royal Society

6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, England UK

J. H. Poynting papers, 1833-1952.

Main Library.

University of Birmingham

Information Services, Special Collections Dept., Edgbaston Campus, Birmingham B15 2TT

James Dewar leters to G. D. Living/ James Dewar. 1895-1907.

Library

Science Museum (Great Britain)

Imperial College Road, London SW7 5NH, England, UK

John William Strutt Raylaigh papers [microform], 1864-1919.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

John William Strutt Rayleigh and Robert John Strutt Rayleigh collection, 1865-1976.

Library, Special Collections Branch

United States Air Force Academy

Colorado Springs, CO 80840-5701, USA

Oral history interview with Georg von Hevesy, 1962 May 25 and 4 February 1963.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Sarah Frances Whiting papers, 1859-1927.

Archives

Wellesley College

Margaret Clapp Library, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA

Scientific correspondence, 1900-1946 (bulk 1900-1938).

Bibliothek und Archiv

Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. (Austrian Academy of Sciences).

Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2, A-1010 Vienna, Austria

Published Resources

Author

Die Gase der Atmosphäre : und die Geschichte ihrer Entdeckung / von Sir William Ramsay ; Ins Deutsche übertragen von Max Huth.

Elements and electrons / by Sir William Ramsay.

Essays biographical and chemical / by Sir William Ramsay.

The gases of the atmosphere, the history of their discovery / by Sir William Ramsay

Subject

A life of Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S.

Encyclopedia Britannica: Sir William Ramsay, British Chemist Biography.

Sir William Ramsay Nobel Prize biography.

The phase rule and its applications / $cby Alex ; findlay ... together with an introduction to the study of physical chemistry by Sir William Ramsay.