William A. Tilden
Encyclopedia
Sir William Augustus Tilden (15 August 1842 - 11 December 1926) was a British
chemist
. He discovered that isoprene
could be made from turpentine
. He was unable to turn this discovery into a way to make commercially viable synthetic rubber
.
He obtained a B Sc in 1868 and a D Sc in 1871, both from the University of London
. From 1872 to 1880 he was Senior Teacher of Science at Clifton College
, Bristol
. From 1880 to 1894 he was Professor of Chemistry at Mason College, Birmingham
. From 1894 to his death he was at the Royal College of Science
, London
, being Professor of Chemistry to 1909, Dean from 1905 to 1909, and then Emeritus Professor.
He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1880 and was Vice-President from 1904 to 1906. In 1905 he was awarded the Davy Medal
of the Society. He was President of the Chemical Society
from 1903 to 1905. The Tilden Prize was named in his memory by the Society in 1939 and has been awarded annually (now by the Royal Society of Chemistry
) to three younger members since then. He held office in many other organisations, including the British Association for the Advancement of Science
, the Institute of Chemistry (renamed Royal Institute of Chemistry
in 1885) and the Society of Chemical Industry
.
He published Famous Chemists: the men and their work (George Routledge and Sons Ltd.) in 1921.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
. He discovered that isoprene
Isoprene
Isoprene , or 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, is a common organic compound with the formula CH2=CCH=CH2. Under standard conditions it is a colorless liquid...
could be made from turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
. He was unable to turn this discovery into a way to make commercially viable synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber is is any type of artificial elastomer, invariably a polymer. An elastomer is a material with the mechanical property that it can undergo much more elastic deformation under stress than most materials and still return to its previous size without permanent deformation...
.
He obtained a B Sc in 1868 and a D Sc in 1871, both from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. From 1872 to 1880 he was Senior Teacher of Science at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. From 1880 to 1894 he was Professor of Chemistry at Mason College, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. From 1894 to his death he was at the Royal College of Science
Royal College of Science
The Royal College of Science was a higher education institution located in South Kensington; it was a constituent college of Imperial College London from 1907 until it was wholly absorbed by Imperial in 2002. Alumni include H. G. Wells and Brian May and are distinguishable by the letters ARCS ...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, being Professor of Chemistry to 1909, Dean from 1905 to 1909, and then Emeritus Professor.
He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1880 and was Vice-President from 1904 to 1906. In 1905 he was awarded the Davy Medal
Davy Medal
The Davy Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry". Named after Humphry Davy, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1877 to Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Gustav Robert Kirchhoff "for...
of the Society. He was President of the Chemical Society
Chemical Society
The Chemical Society was formed in 1841 as a result of increased interest in scientific matters....
from 1903 to 1905. The Tilden Prize was named in his memory by the Society in 1939 and has been awarded annually (now by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
) to three younger members since then. He held office in many other organisations, including the British Association for the Advancement of Science
British Association for the Advancement of Science
frame|right|"The BA" logoThe British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, is a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between...
, the Institute of Chemistry (renamed Royal Institute of Chemistry
Royal Institute of Chemistry
The Royal Institute of Chemistry was a British scientific organisation.Founded in 1877 as the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain, its role was to focus on qualifications and the professional status of chemists, and its aim was to ensure that consulting and analytical chemists were properly...
in 1885) and the Society of Chemical Industry
Society of Chemical Industry
The Society of Chemical Industry is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Its purpose is "Promoting the commercial application of science for the benefit of society". Its first president was Henry Enfield Roscoe and...
.
He published Famous Chemists: the men and their work (George Routledge and Sons Ltd.) in 1921.