Sir Robert Mond, F.R.S

862 NATURE Nov. 12, 1938, VoL. 142 on his return called on Michell, an astronomer of meetings, but allowed his last paper to be pub distinction and originality. In 1802 he went to lished in the Memoirs of the Society. He died at Paris and met Messier, De1ambre, Laplace, Count Slough on August 25, 1822, and was buried in the Rumford and Napoleon. In 1816 he was knighted Church of St. Lawrence at Upton.* by the Prince Regent. In 1820, when the Astro • In the preparation of this article, I have used to a great extent nomical Society was founded, he was made its the admirable introduction to "The Scientific papers of Sir William Herschel" written by Dr. Dreyer, and am also Indebted to a conversa first president. He was too feeble to attend the tion with Dr. W. H. Steavenson.-F. W. D. Obituary Notices Sir Robert Mond, F.R.S. strain which always surprised those who knew him intimately. OBERT LUDWIG MOND, the elder son of the In 1910, Robert Mond went to live at Combe R late Dr. Ludwig Mond, F.R.S., was born at Bank, Sevenoaks-one of the first houses to have Farnworth, near Widnes, Lancashire, on September 9, electric lighting installed-with its model farm and 1867, and was brother of Alfred Moritz Mond, the laboratories originally intended for his father's use. late Lord Melchett. He was educated at Cheltenham Characteristically and with his usual vigour, Robert and at Peterhouse, Cambridge. Later he worked at Mond took up, for him, new investigations in agri the Polytechnicum, Zurich, and at the Universities culture, including stock-breeding, and it was from of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and had the privilege of here that he supplied with milk the Infants Hospital being private assistant to Sir William Thomson in Vincent Square founded as a memorial to his late (Lord Kelvin). His first wife, the mother of his two wife. The late Prof. H. E. Armstrong used to main daughters, died tragically in Egypt in 1905 ; and tain that Robert Mond was the first to appreciate he married in 1922 Marie Louise Le Manach, of the meaning of 'pure' milk and to conduct his ex Belle Isle en Terre, Brittany. periments on a. satisfactory scale. In consequence of his varied training in the It is difficult to give an adequate account of physical sciences and the atmosphere of his home, Robert Mond's scientific and industrial interests. Robert Mond had an extraordinary wide outlook on His scientific greatness lay not so much in what he scientific problems ; so that, while never becoming himself discovered or achieved but in what he did to a specialist in any one branch, he was able to con make it possible for those to achieve who were less tribute materially to the solution of problems in fortunately placed. Especially after his father's these subjects. On proceeding to Wirulington, he death, he regarded his wealth and position as a trust had the privilege of working not only with his father to be used in the advancement of knowledge and but also with such distinguished collaborators as appreciation of beauty, and through that of inter Carl Langer and Friedrich Quincke. He assisted in national peace and fellowship, and he worked the investigations leading to improvements in the incessantly to schieve this ideal. production of zinc by the electrolysis of zinc chloride, The large number and extent of Robert Mond's and to the discovery of nickel carbonyl, the basis benefactions will probably never be known to the of the process for the production of pure nickel. In outside world, and if by chance he happened to the course of time, Robert Mond was called upon to mention any one of them to an intimate friend one assume positions of responsibility in various organiza felt that he had been guided by his ideals rather tions arising from the exploitation of scientific than by the mere amelioration of a. difficult financial investigations at Winnington. He joined the board situation. Some of them in Great Britain are known. of directors of Brunner, Mond and Company There is his large benefaction to the University of and the Mond Nickel Company, of which he Liverpool, of which he held the honorary LL.D. degree. subsequently became chairman. Another typical example of what he has done for In connexion with the exploitation of the nickel the advancement of scientific knowledge is his work mines at Sudbury, Ontario, Robert Mond identified for the Royal Institution. Sir Robert Robertson, himself with the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, the honorary treasurer, has written: of which he became trustee and to which he gave considerable sums of money and also enriched by "By the same deed of trust (1896) of Ludwig Mond valuable contributions arising from his archreological in which he conveyed the Davy-Faraday Resea:rch investigations in Egypt. His absorbing interest in Laboratory and its endowment to the Royal InstJtU· archreology dates from about 1898, when, shortly tion Robert Ludwig Mond was named Honorary Sec;etary of the Laboratory_ Committee for after his marriage, he had to spend winters out of When in London he came occaswnally to the meetmgs England for health reasons. In his earlier days, of the Committee and read the minutes. To the Robert Mond was a keen mountaineer, and later, equipment and furnishing of the Davy-Faraday although never of sound physique, his unusual Laboratory, he gave much thought and travelled vitality made it possible for him to undergo physical over the Continent and in America. studying arrange- © 1938 Nature Publishing Group No. 3602, Nov. 12, 1938 NATURE 863 roents of laboratories and purchasing apparatus for manifestations de !'intelligence scientifique et le his father's foundation. Although forty years have rayonnement du genie humain." He became Membre passed since the laboratory was fitted up according du Conseil d'Administration de la Maison de la to his designs, the arrangements of benches and of Chimie and, apart from contributing 1,000,000 francs electrical distribution are still in use. At the celebra to its funds and, in order that its future and develop tion of the centenary of Faraday's discovery of electricity from moving magnetism (1931), he repre· ment might be secured, he founded and became sented the Faraday Society and gave president of the Societe des Amis de la Maison de la the reconstruction of the theatre. H1s mterest m Chimie. What he did for the Maison de la Chimie the Davy-Faraday Laboratory continued unabated was typical of many other benefactions in France, and recently he gave £2,000 to its funds. He also all carried out in the spirit of furthering the accom caused to be collected and printed a list of workers plishment of his ideals. France fully recognized the in the laboratory from 1896 to 1932 with their high quality of his efforts, and none of his friends publications. The Royal Institution has lost a good were surprised at his promotion from 'Officier' to friend.'' 'Commandeur' de la Legion d'Honneur. In 1937, he was elected Membra de l'Academie des Inscriptions et It is interesting to note that Robert Mond's know des Lettres, becoming Merobre de l'Institut de France. ledge of the Royal Institution and the unique place Robert Mond received the order of knighthood in it occupies as a scientific centre guided him to a 1932. Of his election this year to the fellowship of large extent in what he did later in Paris. Much the Royal Society, he was immensely proud. His more recently, he gave a sum corresponding to the letter to-the present writer contained the following amount he gave to the Maison de la Chimie in Paris sentence : "To be considered worthy of admission to the funds of the National Council for Chemistry. to the same distinguished Society which recognised Like his father, keenly interested in the documenta roy father is the greatest honour I could receive." tion of scientific knowledge, he hoped that this might Arrangements had been completed for conferring be a nucleus from which the more on him, by the University of London, the rare documentation of chemical literature and, possibly, distinction of the honorary D.Sc. degree. a British 'House for Chemistry' might arise. Robert Mond's interests in human knowledge and In celestial chemistry, and other related branches progress were so wide that it is difficult to realize of astronomical research, Robert Mond also took how he found time and strength to maintain them. keen interest and encouraged in many ways. He Recently he suffered considerable physical disability, was one of the seven original subscribers to the Hill but his amazing spirit and the constant care of Lady Observatory Corporation, registered in 1916 to Mond carried him through. In spite of ill-health, he establish an observatory at Salcombe Regis, Sid never hesitated to accept an office to which arduous mouth, Devon, the name being changed in 1921 to duties were attached when he believed that thereby the Norman Lockyer Observatory, in memory of the he might contribute to the realization of his ideals. distinguished astronomer who founded it. He became The international character of the meetings of the chairman of the corporation twenty-one years ago Faraday Society was a deciding factor in accepting and occupied that position when he died. Since its its presidency, and his interest in photography and foundation, the Observatory has been equipped and especially in colour photography from his early days maintained entirely by private donations, and Robert led him to accept the honorary treasurership of the Mond was one of its chief benefactors.

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