Editing Dyson Perrins Laboratory

{{Short description|Science labs at University of Oxford}}
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[[File:Dyson Perrins Lab Entrance University of Oxford.JPG|thumb|The entrance]]
The '''Dyson Perrins Laboratory''' is in the science area of the University of Oxford and was the main centre for research into [[organic chemistry]] of the University from its foundation in 1916 until its closure as a research laboratory in 2003.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/history/DP-History/mobile/index.html |title=The Dyson Perrins Laboratory and Oxford Organic Chemistry |author= John Jones |isbn=978-0-9512569-4-7 |date=2008}}</ref>  Until 2018, parts of the building were used as teaching laboratories in which undergraduate students were trained in practical organic chemistry.

It was founded with an endowment from [[Charles Dyson Perrins]], heir to the [[Lea & Perrins]] [[Worcestershire sauce]] company, and stands on the north side of South Parks Road in Oxford.

==Notable chemists==
The heads of the laboratory were the four consecutive [[Waynflete Professors of Chemistry]]:

# [[William Henry Perkin, Jr.]], from 1912 to 1929;
# [[Robert Robinson (organic chemist)|Sir Robert Robinson]], from 1930 to 1954. [[Nobel Prize]] winner, 1947;
# [[Ewart Jones|Sir Ewart Jones]], from 1954 to 1978;
# [[Jack Baldwin (chemist)|Sir Jack Baldwin]], from 1978 to 2003.

During its 87-year working life, the laboratory had an extremely distinguished career; it can claim a stake in shaping the scientific careers of two Nobel Laureates, namely [[Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd|Lord Todd]] (1957) and [[Sir John W. Cornforth]] (1975) who passed their formative years as young chemists in the laboratories.

==History and present use==
[[File:Dyson Perrins Lab Plaque Royal Society of Chemistry.JPG|thumb|The Royal Society of Chemistry commemorative plaque, 2004]]
The building of the laboratory began in 1913 and was finished in 1916 to the designs of [[Paul Waterhouse]], the contractors being Armitage and Hodgson of Leeds. Funding came in part from C. W. Dyson Perrins of Queen's College. In 1920–22 an eastern wing was added as contemplated in the original design, this was followed in 1934 by an extension for medical students and in 1940–41 a new brick wing to the north was built.<ref>"The University Press and other modern buildings", in: ''A History of the County of Oxford; Volume 3: The University of Oxford'' (1954), pp. 56-60</ref>

Research in organic chemistry at Oxford is now conducted across [[South Parks Road]] at the University's state-of-the-art [[Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford|Chemistry Research Laboratory]]. The majority of the building has been handed over to the [[School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford|Oxford University Geography Department]] for the establishment of the [[Oxford University Centre for the Environment]] (OUCE).

==References==
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== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060524094329/http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oc/ Organic Chemistry at the University of Oxford]
* [http://www.rsc.org/Chemsoc/Activities/ChemicalLandmarks/UK/DysonPerrinsLaboratory.asp Historic Chemical Landmark] award from the [[Royal Society of Chemistry]]

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[[Category:1916 establishments in England]]
[[Category:2003 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:Departments of the University of Oxford]]
[[Category:History of chemistry]]
[[Category:University and college laboratories in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Chemistry laboratories]]


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