How about a bit of chemistry history? We are standing in front of the Chemistry Building. It is part of the University of Manchester. This building sits at the junction of Brunswick Street and Upper Brook Street. You will find it on the east side of the Oxford Road campus.
The Chemistry Building is easily accessible. It is located just off one of Europe’s busiest bus routes. The Chemistry Building is more than just bricks and mortar. It represents a long history of chemical breakthroughs.
The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest in the UK. It has over 600 undergraduate students. There are also more than 200 postgraduate research students. The department covers all core sub-disciplines of chemistry. It has over 120 postdoctoral researchers.
Manchester has a distinguished history of chemistry. John Dalton founded modern chemistry here in 1803. He presented his atomic theory. William Henry was a Manchester chemist too. He developed Henry’s Law. James Joule pioneered thermodynamics in the 1840s here.
Lyon Playfair installed a laboratory in the Royal Manchester Institution. Frederick Crace Calvert succeeded him. Calvert made phenol. Joseph Lister used it as an antiseptic. Carl Schorlemmer was appointed the first UK Professor of Organic Chemistry in 1874.
The teaching of chemistry began in Owens College in 1851. It was first taught in a house in St John Street. Later, it moved to the main college building in Quay Street. The chemical laboratory was designed by Henry Roscoe when the college moved in 1873. The Schorlemmer laboratory was added in 1895.
In 1904, three more laboratories were added. These were the Dalton, Perkin, and Schunck laboratories. The Morley laboratories followed in 1909. They provided more space for organic chemistry.
After World War II, three more laboratories were built. These were the Dixon Laboratory built in 1946. Also the Robinson and Lapworth Laboratories in 1950. All three were vacated in the 1960s. The present Chemistry Building on Brunswick Street then became available. H. S. Fairhurst & Son were the architects.
Many notable faculty members have worked here. David Procter is the Head of Department. Nikolas Kaltsoyannis is a professor of computational and theoretical chemistry. Richard Winpenny is a professor of inorganic chemistry. David Leigh holds the Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry. Gareth A. Morris is a professor of physical chemistry.
Several Emeritus Professors continue their research here. They include John Joule and William Byers Brown. Brown was the first Professor of Computational Chemistry.
Many distinguished alumni have studied here. Melvin Calvin worked here. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1961. Arthur Harden won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1929. Norman Haworth won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1937. George de Hevesy won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1943. Other alumni include James Lovelock, John Charles Polanyi, and Robert Robinson. Ernest Rutherford and Michael Smith also studied here. Alexander R. Todd won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1957.
The Chemistry Building has several facilities. Lecture theaters are accessed from a modern foyer. This is ideal for registration, posters, and refreshments. Wi-Fi is available on the ground floor near the cafe. The classrooms have data projectors and whiteboards. The theaters also have a PA and induction loop.
The Chemistry Building stands as a testament. It is a testament to Manchester’s rich history in chemistry. It continues to be a place of learning. It is also a hub for groundbreaking research.