Honorary Degree Recipient Last Research Link with Works of Thorvaldson and Spinks

Posted October 22, 1999


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 22, 1999 99-10-11-OTHER

Honorary Degree Recipient Last Research Link with Works of Thorvaldson and Spinks

At the Fall Convocation, the University will award an honorary Doctor of Science degree to Dr. William Graham, a Saskatchewan native and graduate of the U of S (B.A., M.A.). In 1953, Graham's graduate work in chemistry at the U of S was supervised by Thorbergur Thorvaldson and John W. T. Spinks, both internationally respected authorities and leaders in their fields. Dr. Graham went on to complete his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1956 and following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California, he joined the research and consulting firm of Arthur D. Little, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1962, Graham returned to Canada and an academic career at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Within a few years, the systematic studies of organometallic compounds and metal carbonyl derivatives undertaken by his research group had attracted international attention and were recognized in 1970 by the Chemical Institute of Canada's Noranda Lecture Award. Subsequently, new syntheses of compounds having silicon-transition metal bonds were developed, and among these products a novel and important silicon-hydrogen-transition metal interaction was identified.

After thirty three years of outstanding discoveries and contributions to organometalic chemistry, Dr. Graham retired from the University of Alberta on August 31, 1995. During his remarkable career, Graham achieved an international scientific reputation and his work is noted for originality and careful execution. Graham authored or co-authored 140 publications and supervised 25 Ph.D. theses. He has served on the editorial boards of several inorganic chemistry journals and reference works. His awards include the Noranda and E.W.R. Steacie Awards of the Canadian Society of Chemistry; the Chemical Institute of Canada Medal and both a McCalla Fellowship and the Kaplan Research Prize from the U of A. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was a Centenary Lecturer of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London) in 1987-88.

Marking Dr. Graham's retirement and 65th birthday, the Canadian Journal of Chemistry dedicated a special issue to him. In an article from that issue which discusses Dr. Graham's contributions, his colleagues said, "Bill has always been readily approachable, unselfish, and eager to share his findings with his colleagues and other scientists. The inorganic chemists at the University of Alberta have been particularly fortunate to have worked with Bill. He is largely responsible for building the Inorganic division of this department to its present stature and has been a constant inspiration to all."

Since his retirement, Dr. Graham has served as Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Science of the University of Alberta, while maintaining an active interest in chemistry as Professor Emeritus.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Bill Graham, Associate Dean of Science
University of Alberta
(780) 492-3619
E-mail: william.graham@ualberta.ca