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'Don't be a bloody fool, put in for Honours!'
Norman Greenwood Scientist
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So, Abe Yoffe. It so happened in the practical classes that Abe Yoffe was the member of staff who was supervising the lab class that I took. And at the end of the year each student had to fill in a form for the exams that he was going to enter. I was filling out a form, a pink form as I recall, and Abe came up in the lab and said, 'You're filling out the wrong form, Norm'. So I said, 'No, this was the Pass form'. He said, 'No, you should be filling out a blue form for Honours'. I said, 'You're having me on, Abe, I am nowhere near Honours standard, I've missed my last year of school, I'm working full-time, I'm only doing this course as a part-time student'. And he just looked at me and he said, 'Norm, I demonstrate in this class, I know all the students, let me tell you you're one of the best. Don't be a bloody fool, put in for Honours'. So I did, with some trepidation, but out of a class of 200 – because a first year chemistry class was big – out of a class of 200 I came second. So I thought right, if I work hard I might do better. So that, I think, was an enormous advantage.

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: University of Melbourne, Abe Yoffe

Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds

Date story recorded: May 2011

Date story went live: 25 November 2011