Ian Morris Heilbron, 1886-1959

Abstract

Ian Morris Heilbron, younger son of David Heilbron, was born on 6 November 1886 in Glasgow. He received his early education at the High School, Glasgow, where he became fired by an enthusiasm for chemistry. In later years he often recalled the disfavour with which his father, who was prominent in both the commercial and social life of Glasgow, viewed his determination to take up chemistry as a career, for, at the time when science still seemed to have little relation to industry, the choice appeared to offer only a limited academic career. Fortunately for chemistry and indeed eventually for all science, the young Heilbron was allowed to follow his own bent and entered the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, where he quickly came under the enduring influence of G. G. Henderson, F.R.S., an influence which Heilbron fervently acknowledged to the end of his days. It was at Henderson’s insistence that he took up a Carnegie Fellowship at the University of Leipzig where he studied under Hantzsch from 1907 to 1909 and took his Ph.D. degree. Having come from an unusually cultured environment in Glasgow, he particularly enjoyed the musical life in Leipzig. At this period he began a life-long friendship with R. Robison, F.R.S., later to achieve distinction in the biochemical field, but in later years he rarely referred to his work in Germany although it clearly had a pronounced influence in impressing on him the immense assistance which the organic chemist could derive from the application of physical methods. There is little doubt that this early experience led Heilbron directly to pioneer in due course the development in particular of spectroscopy, high vacuum distillation and chromatography in this country. On his return, Heilbron, again on the ‘advice’ of G. G. Henderson (see the first Henderson Memorial Lecture, Roy. Inst. Chem. 1947) became Lecturer at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, until the outbreak of World War I. He had taken a Commission as Lieutenant in the R.A.S.C. in 1910, was posted overseas in the 52nd Division in 1915, and in 1917-19 served brilliantly, ultimately with the rank of Lieut.-Colonel, as Assistant Director of Supplies at G.H.Q. Salonika. He was three times mentioned in despatches, was awarded the Médaille d’Honneur of the Greek Order of the Redeemer, and at home was honoured with the award of the D.S.O.