Raphael Meldola

Born in London on 19 July 1849, he became one of the notable British scientific figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He trained at the Royal College of Chemistry and built a career that joined research, teaching, and public scientific life. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1886 and later served as Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of London from 1912 until his death in 1915.

His chemistry work was especially important in the study of synthetic dyes and phenol derivatives, and his name remains attached to the dye known as Meldola's blue. Alongside chemistry, he was also a serious entomologist, studying insects with the same careful attention he brought to the laboratory. That mix of specialties made him an unusually versatile man of science, even by the standards of his time.

He was also active in scientific institutions and the wider intellectual world, helping organize and lead learned societies and contributing to public discussions about science. Later generations remembered him strongly enough that the Meldola Medal and Prize was created in his honor for promising young chemists. He died on 16 November 1915.