eorge William Gray CBE, FRS (4 September 1926 � 12 May 2013)[1] was a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Hull who was instrumental in developing the long-lasting materials which made liquid crystal displays possible. He created and systematised the liquid crystal materials science, and established a method of practical molecular design.[2]

Contents [hide] 1 Education and career2 Liquid crystals3 Private life4 References5 Further reading6 External linksEducation and career[edit]Born in Denny, Scotland,[3] Gray was educated at the University of Glasgow and while working as an assistant lecturer at the University College in Hull (then part of the University of London) obtained his PhD in 1953.[4]

He developed his academic career at the college, which became the University of Hull in 1954, from 1946 to 1990. He was appointed senior lecturer in 1960, Professor of Organic Chemistry in 1974, and GF Grant Professor of Chemistry in 1984.[4] He remained an Emeritus Professor at Hull.[5]

In 1990 he joined the chemical company Merck, then became an independent consultant in 1996.[4]

Liquid crystals[edit]In 1973, in conjunction with the Royal Radar Establishment, he showed that 4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl possessed a stable nematic phase at room temperature.[6] This compound and other long-lasting cyano-biphenyls made the twisted nematic display (LCD) popular. Gray wrote the first English book covering the subject of liquid crystals, "Molecular Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals", published in 1962.[7]

Gray was recipient of the 1995 Kyoto Prize for Advanced Technology and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1991. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1983, and in 1987 was awarded the Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society. In 1979 he was awarded the Rank Prize for Opto-electronics and in 1996 the SID Karl Ferdinand Braun Prize. The University of Hull was the first university to be awarded the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement, in 1979, for the liquid crystal joint-development work.[5] Gray has been a Director of the International Liquid Crystal Society. Members of the British Liquid Crystal Society honoured his achievements by establishing the George W. Gray Medal for contributions to liquid crystal research and technology.[8]

In March 2013, the University of Hull celebrated the 40th anniversary of Gray's seminal paper being published on 22 March 1973.[9]

Hull Trains named their first British Rail Class 222 'Pioneer' high-speed train Professor George Gray in recognition of his achievements in the modern history of Hull.[10][11]

Private life[edit]In 1953 George Gray married Marjorie Canavan, who died two weeks before her husband. They had three daughters.[4]

References[edit]Jump up ^ �Reminiscences from a life with liquid crystals�, by George W. Gray Chemistry Arena, 2013-05-14, retrieved 2013-05-17Jump up ^ "George William Gray - Biography". The 1995 Kyoto Prize - Advanced Tec

hnology. Inamori Foundation. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ John Goodby and Peter Raynes (21 May 2013). "George Gray obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2013.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Obitury: Professor George Gray". Daily Telegraph. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.^ Jump up to: a b George W. Gray (January 1998). "Reminiscences from a life with liquid crystals". Liquid Crystals (Taylor & Francis) 24 (1). doi:10.1080/026782998207523. Retrieved 17 May 2013.Jump up ^ "George Gray: Liquid Perfection". Null Hypothesis. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ "Applications of Liquid Crystals". Liquid Crystal Group, University of Hamburg. 2001-05-28. Archived from the original on 2001-05-28. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ "Upcoming Events - George W. Gray". Liquid Crystal Institute, kent State University. 1997-06-06. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ "The screen you're reading this on was inspired in Hull 40 years ago...". University of Hull. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.Jump up ^ "New fleet named to celebrate modern "Pioneers"". Hull Trains. 2007-04-17. Archived from the original on 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ Martin A. Bates (2005-07-01). "George Gray honoured as a "Hull Pioneer"". The Liquid Crystal & Advanced Materials Group, University of York. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Further reading[edit]David Dunmur & Tim Sluckin (2011) Soap, Science, and Flat-screen TVs: a history of liquid crystals, pp 201,221�5, Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-954940-5External links[edit]The History of Liquid Crystals at the University of HullGeorge William Gray, Kyoto Prize biographyGeorge William Gray, Kyoto Prize citationGeorge Gray - Liquid PerfectionInterview With George Gray, The Vega Science TrustThe history of liquid-crystal displays, Hirohisa Kawamoto, Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 90, No. 4, April 2002G. W. Gray, K. J. Harrison, J. A. Nash "New family of nematic liquid crystals for displays" Electronics Lett. 9 (1973) 130Celebrating 40 years of LCD research, University of HullAuthority controlWorldCat Identities VIAF: 69083571 LCCN: n81017807 ISNI: 0000 0001 1665 5763 SUDOC: 035812095 BNF: cb134894993 (data)Categories: 1926 births2013 deathsFellows of the Royal SocietyAcademics of the University of HullAlumni of the University of GlasgowAlumni of the University of LondonCommanders of the Order of the British EmpirePeople from EdinburghLiquid crystalsNavigation menuNot logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView history

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Recent changesContact pageToolsWhat links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkPage informationWikidata itemCite this pagePrint/exportCreate a bookDownload as PDFPrintable versionLanguages???????DeutschFrançaisPortuguêsEdit linksThis page was last modified on 12 March 2016, at 18:07.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. eorge William Gray CBE, FRS (4 September 1926 � 12 May 2013)[1] was a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Hull who was instrumental in developing the long-lasting materials which made liquid crystal displays possible. He created and systematised the liquid crystal materials science, and established a method of practical molecular design.[2]

Contents [hide] 1 Education and career2 Liquid crystals3 Private life4 References5 Further reading6 External linksEducation and career[edit]Born in Denny, Scotland,[3] Gray was educated at the University of Glasgow and while working as an assistant lecturer at the University College in Hull (then part of the University of London) obtained his PhD in 1953.[4]

He developed his academic career at the college, which became the University of Hull in 1954, from 1946 to 1990. He was appointed senior lecturer in 1960, Professor of Organic Chemistry in 1974, and GF Grant Professor of Chemistry in 1984.[4] He remained an Emeritus Professor at Hull.[5]

In 1990 he joined the chemical company Merck, then became an independent consultant in 1996.[4]

Liquid crystals[edit]In 1973, in conjunction with the Royal Radar Establishment, he showed that 4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl possessed a stable nematic phase at room temperature.[6] This compound and other long-lasting cyano-biphenyls made the twisted nematic display (LCD) popular. Gray wrote the first English book covering the subject of liquid crystals, "Molecular Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals", published in 1962.[7]

Gray was recipient of the 1995 Kyoto Prize for Advanced Technology and was made

a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1991. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1983, and in 1987 was awarded the Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society. In 1979 he was awarded the Rank Prize for Opto-electronics and in 1996 the SID Karl Ferdinand Braun Prize. The University of Hull was the first university to be awarded the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement, in 1979, for the liquid crystal joint-development work.[5] Gray has been a Director of the International Liquid Crystal Society. Members of the British Liquid Crystal Society honoured his achievements by establishing the George W. Gray Medal for contributions to liquid crystal research and technology.[8]

In March 2013, the University of Hull celebrated the 40th anniversary of Gray's seminal paper being published on 22 March 1973.[9]

Hull Trains named their first British Rail Class 222 'Pioneer' high-speed train Professor George Gray in recognition of his achievements in the modern history of Hull.[10][11]

Private life[edit]In 1953 George Gray married Marjorie Canavan, who died two weeks before her husband. They had three daughters.[4]

References[edit]Jump up ^ �Reminiscences from a life with liquid crystals�, by George W. Gray Chemistry Arena, 2013-05-14, retrieved 2013-05-17Jump up ^ "George William Gray - Biography". The 1995 Kyoto Prize - Advanced Technology. Inamori Foundation. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ John Goodby and Peter Raynes (21 May 2013). "George Gray obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2013.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Obitury: Professor George Gray". Daily Telegraph. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.^ Jump up to: a b George W. Gray (January 1998). "Reminiscences from a life with liquid crystals". Liquid Crystals (Taylor & Francis) 24 (1). doi:10.1080/026782998207523. Retrieved 17 May 2013.Jump up ^ "George Gray: Liquid Perfection". Null Hypothesis. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ "Applications of Liquid Crystals". Liquid Crystal Group, University of Hamburg. 2001-05-28. Archived from the original on 2001-05-28. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ "Upcoming Events - George W. Gray". Liquid Crystal Institute, kent State University. 1997-06-06. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ "The screen you're reading this on was inspired in Hull 40 years ago...". University of Hull. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.Jump up ^ "New fleet named to celebrate modern "Pioneers"". Hull Trains. 2007-04-17. Archived from the original on 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Jump up ^ Martin A. Bates (2005-07-01). "George Gray honoured as a "Hull Pioneer"". The Liquid Crystal & Advanced Materials Group, University of York. Retrieved 2010-05-02.Further reading[edit]David Dunmur & Tim Sluckin (2011) Soap, Science, and Flat-screen TVs: a history of liquid crystals, pp 201,221�5, Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-954940-5External links[edit]The History of Liquid Crystals at the University of HullGeorge William Gray, Kyoto Prize biographyGeorge William Gray, Kyoto Prize citationGeorge Gray - Liquid PerfectionInterview With George Gray, The Vega Science TrustThe history of liquid-crystal displays, Hirohisa Kawamoto, Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 90, No. 4, April 2002G. W. Gray, K. J. Harrison, J. A. Nash "New family of nematic liquid crystals for displays" Electronics Lett. 9 (1973) 130

Celebrating 40 years of LCD research, University of HullAuthority controlWorldCat Identities VIAF: 69083571 LCCN: n81017807 ISNI: 0000 0001 1665 5763 SUDOC: 035812095 BNF: cb134894993 (data)Categories: 1926 births2013 deathsFellows of the Royal SocietyAcademics of the University of HullAlumni of the University of GlasgowAlumni of the University of LondonCommanders of the Order of the British EmpirePeople from EdinburghLiquid crystalsNavigation menuNot logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView history

SearchGoMain pageContentsFeatured contentCurrent eventsRandom articleDonate to WikipediaWikipedia storeInteractionHelpAbout WikipediaCommunity portalRecent changesContact pageToolsWhat links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkPage informationWikidata itemCite this pagePrint/exportCreate a bookDownload as PDFPrintable versionLanguages???????DeutschFrançaisPortuguêsEdit linksThis page was last modified on 12 March 2016, at 18:07.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.For other people named William Pickering, see William Pickering (disambiguation).William Henry PickeringPickering William Henry 02598v.jpgPickering in 1909Born February 15, 1858Boston, MassachusettsDied January 16, 1938 (aged 79)Mandeville, JamaicaFields Astronomy

Education Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1897)Notable awards Lalande Prize (1905)Prix Jules Janssen (1909)William Henry Pickering (February 15, 1858 � January 16, 1938) was an American astronomer.[1] Pickering constructed and established several observatories or astronomical observation stations, notably including Percival Lowell's Flagstaff Observatory. He led solar eclipse expeditions and studied craters on the Moon, and hypothesized that changes in the appearance of the crater Eratosthenes were due to "lunar insects".[2] He spent much of the later part of his life at his private observatory in Jamaica.

Contents [hide] 1 Biography2 Awards3 References4 External linksBiography[edit]William Pickering was born on February 15, 1858 in Boston, Massachusetts. His older brother was Edward Charles Pickering, director of the Harvard College Observatory for three decades.

He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1879 then became an instructor in physics from 1880 to 1887.[1]

He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1883 at age 25.[3]

He discovered Saturn's ninth moon Phoebe in 1899 from plates taken in 1898. He produced a photographic atlas of the Moon: The Moon : A Summary of the Existing Knowledge of our Satellite in 1903.

He believed he discovered a tenth moon in 1905 from plates taken in 1904, which he called "Themis". For this discovery he was awarded the Lalande Prize of the French Academy of Sciences in 1906. "Themis" was later shown to not exist.

Following George Darwin, he speculated in 1907 that the moon was once a part of the earth and that it broke away where now the Pacific Ocean lies. He also proposed a version of continental drift before Alfred Wegener where America, Asia, Africa, and Europe once formed a single continent, which broke up because of the separation of the moon. [4]

In 1908 he made a statement regarding the possibility of airplanes that had not yet been invented, saying that "a popular fantasy is to suppose that flying machines could be used to drop dynamite on the enemy in time of war".[citation needed]

In 1919, he predicted the existence and position of a Planet X based on anomalies in the positions of Uranus and Neptune but a search of Mount Wilson Observatory photographs failed to find the predicted planet. Pluto was later discovered at Flagstaff by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, but in any case it is now known that Pluto's mass is far too small to have appreciable gravitational effects on Uranus or Neptune, and the anomalies are accounted for when today's much more accurate values of planetary masses are used in calculating orbits. When the planet was named, he interpreted its symbol as a monogram referring to himself and Lowell by the phrase "Pickering-Lowell".[5]

He claimed to have found vegetation on the moon in 1921.[6]

In 1923 he retired from Harvard University.[7] He died on January 16, 1938 in Mandeville, Jamaica.[1][8]

Awards[edit]He won the Prix Lalande in 1905 and the Prix Jules Janssen in 1909. The asteroid 784 Pickeringia, and the craters Pickering on the Moon and Pickering on Mars, are jointly named after him and his brother Edward Charles Pickering.[1]

References[edit]^ Jump up to: a b c d "William Henry Pickering". New International Encyclopedia 18. 1918. p. 605. He was born in Boston and in 1879 graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was an assistant and instructor in physics in 1880-1887. In the latter year he was appointed assistant professor of astronomy at the Harvard Observatory. Pickering led eclipse expeditions to Colorado (1878), Grenada (1886), California (1889), Chile (1893), and Georgia (1900); discovered Phoebe, the ninth satellite of Saturn, in 1899, and later Themis, the tenth satellite; made lunar observations in California in 1904; and visited Hawaii (1905) and the Azores (1907). He received the Lalande prize in 1905 and the Janssen medal in 1909. His publications include: Guide to Mount Washington Range (1882); The Moon (1903); Lunar and Hawaiian Physical Features Compared (1906)Jump up ^ Moore, Patrick (1999). The wandering astronomer. Bristol; Philadelphia: Institute of Physics Pub. ISBN 9780750306935.Jump up ^ "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter P" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 22 April 2011.Jump up ^ William Henry Pickering (1907). "The Place of Origin of the Moon - The Volcani Problems". Popular Astronomy 15: 274�287. Bibcode:1907PA.....15..274P.Jump up ^ Pickering W. H. (1930). "The discovery of Pluto". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 91 (1): 0812�0817. Bibcode:1931MNRAS..91..812P. doi:10.1093/mnras/91.7.812.Jump up ^ "Says 2 Crops A Day Grow On The Moon. Prof. Pickering Is Convinced Markings Are Caused by Vegetation in the Craters. Field Patterns Traced. Criticises Astronomers for Assuming Life There Is Impossible. Easier to Study Than Mars". The New York Times. October 9, 1921.Jump up ^ "Prof. Pickering To Resign. Astronomer Will Be Made Assistant Professor Emeritus at Harvard". New York Times. June 28, 1923. Retrieved 2015-03-31.Jump up ^ "Prof. Pickering, 79, Astronomer, Dead. Discoverer of Planet Phoebe in 1899 Is Stricken at Mandeville, Jamaica". New York Times. January 22, 1938. Retrieved 2015-03-31. Professor William Henry Pickering died Monday at Mandeville Observatory, where he had lived for three decades. He was buried in Mandeville. His age was 79. ...External links[edit]William H. Pickering Papers, 1892-1893 from the Smithsonian Institution ArchivesObituariesJRASC 32 (1938) 157 (one paragraph)MNRAS 99 (1939) 328PASP 50 (1938) 122Authority controlWorldCat Identities VIAF: 173289811 LCCN: n85808769 ISNI: 0000 0001 2341 8205 GND: 116178957 SUDOC: 076959376 BNF: cb10607216t (data) NDL: 00657015Categories: 1858 births1938 deathsAmerican astronomersDiscoverers of moonsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesHarvard University facultyMassachusetts Institute of Technology alumniMassachusetts Institute of Technology facultyNavigation menuNot logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView history

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