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Rules and regulations of university life in Cambridge

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The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 scholarship
Norman Greenwood Scientist
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So, I went around London, there were big exhibitions on, I was very... I went to the 1851 people. That... perhaps I should explain for people who aren't so familiar with it. One of the most distinguished scholarships that someone from the Colonies could have is an 1851. It is the surplus money from the 1851 exhibition, the Great Exhibition which was organised by Prince Albert. It was the world's first exhibition. It was, I think, the only one that's ever made substantial profits, such profits indeed, that they built up what is called the South Kensington site. The Albert Hall is built with that money, Imperial College, the College of Science, the Biological Museum... the Natural History Museum, I think it's called, and the British Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert obviously, again. In fact I might just digress and say that I come from the State of Victoria, the Prime Minister at the time was Melbourne, I lived first in Mont Albert; there was a big British presence in Australia at that time.

But I went to the 1851, because despite all these foundations that were made with the money there was still money to bring people from the Colonies, as they were to start with, and then overseas, the Commonwealth. So that Ernest Rutherford, for example, came over, famously, from New Zealand on that. Harrie Massey came to University College from, in fact, my school, in Melbourne University High School, a lot of people came over on those... and Ray Martin, the following year, from the... came over on one, as well. So that's what I was looking around.

Norman Greenwood (1925-2012) was born in Australia and graduated from Melbourne University before going to Cambridge. His wide-ranging research in inorganic and structural chemistry made major advances in the chemistry of boron hydrides and other main-group element compounds. He also pioneered the application of Mössbauer spectroscopy to problems in chemistry. He was a prolific writer and inspirational lecturer on chemical and educational themes, and held numerous visiting professorships throughout the world.

Listeners: Brian Johnson

Professor Brian FG Johnson FRS, FRSE, FRS Chem, FAcad Eu, FAS. Professor of Inorganic Chemistry University of Edinburgh 1991-1995, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry University of Cambridge 1995-2005, Master Fitzwilliam College Cambridge 1999-2005. Research interests include studies of transition metal carbonyls, organometallic chemistry, nano- particles and homogeneous catalysis. Professor Johnson is the author of over 1000 research articles and papers.

Tags: London, The Great Exhibition, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, South Kensington, Imperial College, Royal Albert Hall, Natural History Museum, British Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Australia, New Zealand, University College London, Melbourne University High School, Prince Albert, Ernest Rutherford, Harrie Massey, Ray Martin

Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds

Date story recorded: May 2011

Date story went live: 25 November 2011