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A Crystal Clear Vision: Celebrating the Multi-Faceted Legacy of Kathleen Lonsdale Lynne Robinson

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A Crystal Clear Vision: Celebrating the Multi-Faceted Legacy of Kathleen Lonsdale Lynne Robinson JOM, Vol. 67, No. 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s11837-014-1254-y Ó 2014 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society A Crystal Clear Vision: Celebrating the Multi-Faceted Legacy of Kathleen Lonsdale Lynne Robinson Pioneers in Diversity This profile of Kathleen Lonsdale marks the first in an ongoing series of JOM articles highlighting individual contributions to a more diverse minerals, metals, and materials science and engineering community. The series is an ongoing project of the TMS Women in Materials Science and Engineering Committee as an effort to raise awareness of diversity topics within the field, while also celebrating the accomplishments of those who have made inroads on these issues. “I believe in good. Not just as a November 1967 BBC radio interview, science is used for good and not for hypothesis. It really is a leap of faith Kathleen Yardley Lonsdale’s tone evil purposes,” she said. “International and absolutely fundamental to all my had been relatively light, as she understanding between scientists can way of life.” SDWLHQWO\GH¿QHGFU\VWDOORJUDSK\ lead to international understanding in Up until that statement during a for the masses and explained how other ways. And, this is not only the she managed to raise role of the scientist, but also the role of three children while educated people of all kinds.” pursuing a demanding While science was Kathleen career. (“[I married] a Lonsdale’s passion, it was her husband who helped dedication to “doing good” in me in every way,” she WKHZRUOGWKDWGH¿QHGKHUOLIH$ said. “Particularly when protégé of William Henry Bragg, WKLQJVJRWGLI¿FXOWKH Lonsdale was one of the early encouraged me to go on pioneers in establishing the science with my work. He also of x-ray crystallography, while also does the cooking and leveraging her considerable talent and is very good on bread determination to open doors for other and cakes.”) When the ZRPHQWRSXUVXHVFLHQWL¿FFDUHHUV conversation turned Along the way, she served time for to her perspectives on refusing civilian service in World War social responsibility, an II, worked tirelessly for prison reform, edge of urgency entered and was an internationally recognized her voice, indicating activist for world peace. how close the topic was “She had a kaleidoscope of to her heart. interests. They were all very important “A scientist and all very much part of her,” said should take interest Maureen Julian, who studied under in national and Lonsdale as a research fellow at international affairs, not University College London. as a politician, but in “As a scientist, she believed she Kathleen Lonsdale helped establish the theoretical making sure that facts had an obligation to not only make foundation for the field of crystallography. (Photo: University College London Library Services ©2010) are properly known and FRQWULEXWLRQVWRKHU¿HOGEXWWRDUHDV trying to ensure that FRPSOHWHO\RXWVLGHRIKHU¿HOG´ 9 10 Robinson “A Wonderful Sense of Mathematics” Lonsdale credited being “one of DODUJHIDPLO\´DVDQHDUO\LQÀXHQFH on her character, having been born the youngest of ten children in 1903 in Ireland. Her parents, Jessie and Harry Yardley, a postmaster for the local British garrison, separated when VKHZDV¿YHDQGKHUPRWKHUPRYHG herself and her children to Seven Kings, England, for a fresh start. Unfortunately, Seven Kings would VRRQ¿QGLWVHOILQWKHVKDGRZRIWKH zeppelin raids on England during World War I. “Living through that experience was what caused her great hatred of war,” said Julian. A high school education in Great Britain at the time was usually only (From right): Kathleen Lonsdale, Maureen Julian, and Thomas Lonsdale at a Quaker meeting with two friends in 1968. “She was the greatest influence on my available to families of means, own life, personally, professionally, and morally,” said Julian. (Photo courtesy of compelling Lonsdale’s older siblings Maureen Julian) to leave school by their early teens to enter the workforce. Lonsdale, once she made up her mind, nothing at University College London, and however, was able to secure a would stop her.” then later at the Royal Institution. scholarship to the County High School As it turned out, attending Bedford Her early years with Bragg were for Girls in Ilford. Recognizing did much more than accelerate TXLWHIRUPDWLYHZLWK/RQVGDOHRQFH that she was exceptionally gifted in Lonsdale’s college career. It was there writing, “He inspired me with his science, her teachers arranged for WKDW/RQVGDOH¿UVWPHW:LOOLDP+HQU\ own love of pure science and with her to take chemistry, physics, and Bragg, who was one of her examiners KLVHQWKXVLDVWLFVSLULWRILQTXLU\DQG mathematics at the local boys' school IRUWKHRUDO¿QDOVUHTXLUHGIRUKHU at the same time left me entirely free since the girls' school did not offer degree. Bragg and his son, William to follow my own line of research.” those classes. At the age of 16, she Lawrence, had essentially founded She completed her master’s thesis was accepted to the Bedford College the science of crystallography, sharing research on the structure of succinic for Women, graduating in 1922 a 1915 Nobel Prize in physics for acid and related compounds, and in the with the highest grades earned in a advancing the analysis of crystal process, struck up a collaboration with decade. “Her school mistresses tried structure using x-ray diffraction. William Asbury on a set of tables and to persuade her to stay on an extra Deeply impressed with Lonsdale’s mathematical descriptions of crystal year in high school, believing that academic accomplishments, Bragg symmetries for 230 space groups. she could then successfully apply to offered her a position in his laboratory The experience also proved to be Oxford or Cambridge,” said Julian. to study the crystal structure of organic personally enriching in that one of “She was very anxious to get on with compounds. She started as soon as she Lonsdale’s fellow graduate students her advanced studies, though, and graduated, working with Bragg’s team would turn out to be her future husband. “Thomas Lonsdale was once asked what drew him to Kathleen. He “Small girls don’t learn to use tools like small said, ‘It was her wonderful sense of boys, and I think they should. They can use mathematics,’” Julian said, laughing. The couple’s courtship consisted chisels and screwdrivers as well as boys can, if of taking walks together to attend they can use scissors and a needle. This makes different churches in London. They it difficult to begin experimental work.” were married in 1927 and moved from London to Leeds, where Thomas —Kathleen Lonsdale, in 1967, on why more girls don’t pursue Lonsdale had secured a position with scientific careers. the British Silk Research Association. .DWKOHHQ/RQVGDOHEULHÀ\FRQVLGHUHG A Crystal Clear Vision: Celebrating the Multi-faceted Legacy of Kathleen Lonsdale 11 JLYLQJXSVFLHQWL¿FUHVHDUFKWR start raising a family, but Thomas Lonsdale convinced her otherwise, “A scientist should take interest in national and saying he “had not married to get international affairs, not as a politician, but in a free housekeeper.” Said Julian, making sure that facts are properly known and “They had a very happy marriage. Tom supported Kathleen in every way trying to ensure that science is used for good and was so very proud of her.” and not for evil purposes.” Making the Most of Every —Kathleen Lonsdale Situation While Thomas Lonsdale worked doctorate of science for her study of noted Julian. As World War II broke by day and conducted experiments ethane derivatives contained in that out, she did her part to help her at night in the kitchen to complete volume. It was also the nucleus of neighbors and community, even his doctoral dissertation, Kathleen what would become one of her most offering her home to shelter refugees. Lonsdale continued her research at important contributions—the creation The line she would not cross was the University of Leeds with crystals of the ,QWHUQDWLRQDO7DEOHVIRU;UD\ to become part of the formal war of hexamethylbenzene given to her &U\VWDOORJUDSK\. Lonsdale would organization by participating in the for analysis by the English chemist, later go on to serve as the editor- civil defense service. Lonsdale made C.K. Ingold. The crystals were not LQFKLHIRIWKH¿UVWWKUHHYROXPHV a point of detailing her objections HDV\WRZRUNZLWKEXWWKHLUXQLTXH of the tables, which to this day are to civil defense registration in characteristics gave Lonsdale the considered essential references in writing—and then refused to pay the LQVLJKWVKHQHHGHGWRFRQ¿UPWKH crystallography. ¿QHRIWZRSRXQGV+HUSULQFLSOHV structure of the benzene ring—a In the meantime, William Henry landed her in Holloway Prison for a riddle that had eluded scientists, Bragg was able to secure funds that month. Julian related that when the including William Henry Bragg, enabled Lonsdale to get support at prison warden observed to Lonsdale for years. In fact, her experimental home so that she could return to the that it was not uncommon to ignore evidence proving that the ring was Royal Institution to work with his registering for civil defense service KH[DJRQDODQGÀDW DVVKRZQLQWKH research group. She was initially and that most people did not go to masthead and sidebars of this article) disappointed to discover that there prison for doing so, Lonsdale replied, directly contradicted Bragg’s own ZDVQR[UD\HTXLSPHQWLQKHUQHZ “They probably didn’t write and tell theories that the ring was puckered. laboratory. A large and rather old them why.” “Bragg was very supportive of her, electromagnet offered possibilities, Julian said that Lonsdale’s EXW,DOVRWKLQNVKHZDVTXLHWO\ so she conducted experiments with experiences in prison started her on pleased that her result had disproved WKDWZKLOHWKH[UD\HTXLSPHQWZDVRQ WKHSDWKWREHFRPLQJDSXEOLF¿JXUH his theory,” said Julian. Lonsdale’s order. Her “make do” efforts resulted “Before that, she had never spoken accomplishment still stands as a basis in her proving the difference between publicly. She really didn’t have the for organic chemistry analysis.
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