(1903). Robert also read the paper before the Chemical Society—an event of
remarkable maturity for one so young—recorded in The Victorian of
November 1903, probably because Robert’s father had by then become a
member of the College committee. By the time Robert graduated in 1905—
with a Second-Class Honours Degree in Chemistry—he was published and
had won the UCL Gold Medal, an award for practical excellence which
survives to this day as the ‘Ramsay Medal’.
31 (Plate 1.9).
Records held at the Royal Society of Chemistry, Thomas Graham House,
Cambridge, also shed light on Robert’s performance in some of the ancillary
subjects he took alongside his main diet of Chemistry. In this respect, these
records show that he studied Physics from 1901-06, performing ‘very creditably’, that he studied Mathematics from 1903-04, performing ‘satisfactorily’,
and that he also chose to study Mechanical Engineering and Graphics for two
years from 1901-03, performing ‘creditably’. As it turned out, Mechanical
Engineering – a life-long interest of his
35
– was to be of fundamental importance to the successful solution of the ‘ammonia problem’ he tackled alongside
Fritz Haber (Plate 1.10).
1.4 Austen Clement
1905 was therefore a memorable year for Robert but it was also memorable
for another, far less welcome reason. Robert’s long life was never free from
personal tragedies and on 06 April 1905 the first of these occurred with the
sudden death (from diphtheria) of his elder brother Austen Clement at the
London Hospital. Austen was just 26 years old and had begun what should
have been a glittering career in the medical profession. A popular and distinguished scholar
32 at Victoria College he left for the University of London.
From here (Autumn 1896) he moved to study at Oxford where he graduated
in 1889 with a second-class degree in Natural Science. He followed this with
the Sutton Scholarship in 1902 and the Duckworth Nelson Certificate in
1903 becoming a Senior (science) Scholar at Exeter and taking the degree of
Batchelor of Medicine and Surgery. His M.R.C.S and M.R.C.P followed and
he progressed to the London Hospital where his father had also received his
medical tuition. There, Austen became Pathological Assistant and House
Physician in 1903, then Receiving Room Officer in 1904.
10 (Plate 1.11).
The death of a child is not a burden that any parent should be expected to
bear, and Austen’s untimely death dealt a severe blow to Augustin and Edith
1 Robert Le Rossignol
21
remarkable maturity for one so young—recorded in The Victorian of
November 1903, probably because Robert’s father had by then become a
member of the College committee. By the time Robert graduated in 1905—
with a Second-Class Honours Degree in Chemistry—he was published and
had won the UCL Gold Medal, an award for practical excellence which
survives to this day as the ‘Ramsay Medal’.
31 (Plate 1.9).
Records held at the Royal Society of Chemistry, Thomas Graham House,
Cambridge, also shed light on Robert’s performance in some of the ancillary
subjects he took alongside his main diet of Chemistry. In this respect, these
records show that he studied Physics from 1901-06, performing ‘very creditably’, that he studied Mathematics from 1903-04, performing ‘satisfactorily’,
and that he also chose to study Mechanical Engineering and Graphics for two
years from 1901-03, performing ‘creditably’. As it turned out, Mechanical
Engineering – a life-long interest of his
35
– was to be of fundamental importance to the successful solution of the ‘ammonia problem’ he tackled alongside
Fritz Haber (Plate 1.10).
1.4 Austen Clement
1905 was therefore a memorable year for Robert but it was also memorable
for another, far less welcome reason. Robert’s long life was never free from
personal tragedies and on 06 April 1905 the first of these occurred with the
sudden death (from diphtheria) of his elder brother Austen Clement at the
London Hospital. Austen was just 26 years old and had begun what should
have been a glittering career in the medical profession. A popular and distinguished scholar
32 at Victoria College he left for the University of London.
From here (Autumn 1896) he moved to study at Oxford where he graduated
in 1889 with a second-class degree in Natural Science. He followed this with
the Sutton Scholarship in 1902 and the Duckworth Nelson Certificate in
1903 becoming a Senior (science) Scholar at Exeter and taking the degree of
Batchelor of Medicine and Surgery. His M.R.C.S and M.R.C.P followed and
he progressed to the London Hospital where his father had also received his
medical tuition. There, Austen became Pathological Assistant and House
Physician in 1903, then Receiving Room Officer in 1904.
10 (Plate 1.11).
The death of a child is not a burden that any parent should be expected to
bear, and Austen’s untimely death dealt a severe blow to Augustin and Edith
1 Robert Le Rossignol
21