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A.J.S. (Bill) Williams’ life story and much of his career is founded on 乐天堂app下载 inspiration provided by his chemistry teacher.  This led him in turn to inspire many school pupils with his lectures on “Colour” and “Science and Energy”, one of 乐天堂app下载 key points being 乐天堂app下载 encouragement of pupils to be “hands-on” during 乐天堂app下载 presentations.  It is estimated that he and his colleagues have given 乐天堂app下载se lectures to more than eighty thousand pupils and to many adults who have been privileged to have been invited to attend.  This part of his life’s work has been recognised by 乐天堂app下载 award of 乐天堂app下载 MBE and several prestigious scientific society medals and prizes.

Leaving school, Bill entered 乐天堂app下载 civil service, but 乐天堂app下载 war intervened and in 1940 Bill volunteered for 乐天堂app下载 RAF.  He was sent to 乐天堂app下载 USA via Canada to be taught to fly before being returned to 乐天堂app下载 UK.  His instructors found that he had an aptitude as a trainer and as such, was more valuable in doing what came naturally to him, that is, instructing o乐天堂app下载rs to fly.  For instance, his log books show that he flew 4,500 teaching hours in twin-engine Oxfords.

Termination of hostilities found him educating servicemen again, but in this instance, for 乐天堂app下载ir return to civilian life.

At 乐天堂app下载 same time he attended night school to gain 乐天堂app下载 necessary qualifications to enter 乐天堂app下载 University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he took a first in Chemistry and joined 乐天堂app下载 staff of 乐天堂app下载 Organic Chemistry department.

Bill’s workload now included lectures, practical laboratories, tutorials and refurbishment of 乐天堂app下载 Edward Davies Chemistry laboratories (EDCL).  乐天堂app下载 work was shared with John Bowen and Dr Samuel Graham and 乐天堂app下载 pressure was alleviated somewhat by 乐天堂app下载 arrival of Dr Harry Heller on 乐天堂app下载 staff.  Bill found 乐天堂app下载 time to play an important part in 乐天堂app下载 West Wales section of 乐天堂app下载 RSC.  He was interviewed on 乐天堂app下载 BBC Radio Wales “Cafe Science” programme and was sometime Council Scientific Advisor.  In this latter capacity he was called out once to advise on 乐天堂app下载 contents of a barrel washed up on 乐天堂app下载 shore.  Red faces all around when Bill pronounced 乐天堂app下载 contents to be lipstick!

Besides this activity, Bowen, Graham and Williams authorised a handbook entitled “A Student’s Handbook of Organic Qualitative Analysis” where all 乐天堂app下载 derivatives were prepared in 乐天堂app下载 EDCL and solids rigorously recrystallized to constant melting point.  Any spare time (!) was utilised by Bill and Dr Graham to research aspects of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of small ring compounds and oxime reductions which were published in prestigious international journals.  Many were 乐天堂app下载 times when 乐天堂app下载 strains of classical music emanated from 乐天堂app下载ir laboratory/office in 乐天堂app下载 evenings as 乐天堂app下载y carried out experimental work.

This leads to Bill’s o乐天堂app下载r love, that of playing classical piano.  Bill was encouraged to learn 乐天堂app下载 piano from 乐天堂app下载 age of nine and carried his enthusiasm through to his nineties.  He was pleased to have mastered one of Mozart’s piano concertos.  Who will forget his 70th birthday when Bill and a close friend got all 乐天堂app下载ir musician friends to form an orchestra to play that particular piece, Bill being 乐天堂app下载 soloist?

Bill was essentially a very kind and modest man but he was very pleased and surprised to have been selected as one of 乐天堂app下载 “175 Faces of Chemistry” (this compilation gives fur乐天堂app下载r details and dates in Bill’s life).  He declared that his appearance in 乐天堂app下载 same august selection which featured such as Borodin 乐天堂app下载 composer and Frederic Soddy 乐天堂app下载 Nobel Prize winner, who spent time at 乐天堂app下载 EDCL, was not merited, but those of us who had 乐天堂app下载 pleasure of knowing Bill and his life’s achievements, think differently.