Just Accepted Manuscripts
Research Articles

The suppression of the Cambridge University Department of Colloid Science

PDF (Just Accepted)
  • John Sherwood
John Sherwood
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
Bio
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/Substantia-3937

Published 2026-02-23

Keywords

  • Colloid Science,
  • Department Closure,
  • Cambridge

How to Cite

Sherwood, J. (2026). The suppression of the Cambridge University Department of Colloid Science. Substantia. https://doi.org/10.36253/Substantia-3937

Copyright (c) 2026 John Sherwood

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Abstract

The Cambridge University Department of Colloid Science, founded in 1930, was suppressed by the University after the retirement of the Department head, Roughton, in 1966. The closure was long and acrimonious, requiring two debates in the University Senate House and a University-wide vote. Decisions were taken by committees that included three Nobel Prize winners and many distinguished Cambridge scientists, but there was little consultation with the wider UK colloid science community, either academic or industrial. In times of financial stringency it is sometimes necessary to close university departments, and this review of an unsatisfactory closure may help future generations of university administrators to avoid some of the potential pitfalls.

PDF (Just Accepted)

References

  1. 1. ‘Report of discussion on 25 May 1965, of the report dated 10 May 1965 on the Quick Professorship, the JHP professorship, the Bles Bequest and other subjects’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 2 June 1965, pp. 1907–1915.
  2. 2. N. Mott, A life in Science, Taylor & Francis, London 1986, pp. 108–9.
  3. 3. Francis Roughton: Papers. Archival material held in Cambridge University Library, catalogued GBR/0012/MS Roughton.
  4. https://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories/2/resources/13393
  5. (iDiscover on-line catalogue accessed 1 Aug 2025).
  6. 4. A. E. Alexander, P. Johnson, Colloid Science, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1950.
  7. 5. H. R. Kruyt, Colloid Science, Vol 1 Irreversible systems, 1952, Vol. 2 Reversible systems, 1949, Elsevier, Amsterdam.
  8. 6. J. D. Watson, F. H. C. Crick, ‘Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid’, Nature 1953, 171, 737–738.
  9. 7. ‘Report of the Council of the Senate on a proposed benefaction for the new University Library and for developments in Agriculture, Biology and Physics’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 12 Oct. 1928, pp. 162–166.
  10. 8. D. D. Eley, ‘Eric Keightley Rideal 11 April 1890 – 25 September 1974’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1976, 22, 380–413.
  11. 9. W. J. Pope, ‘Thomas Martin Lowry 1874 – 1936’, Obit. Notices of Fell. R. Soc. 1938, 2, 287–293.
  12. 10. D. Tabor, ‘Frank Philip Bowden 1903 – 1968’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1969, 15, 1–38.
  13. 11. ‘Report of the General Board on the organization of the Department of Chemistry and on the status of the Mathematical Laboratory’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 2 February 1943, pp. 358–360.
  14. 12. A. Todd, A time to remember, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1983.
  15. 13. D. M. Brown, H. Kornberg, ‘Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron Todd of Trumpington, 2 October 1907 – 10 January 1997’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2000, 46, 515–532.
  16. 14. ‘Report of the General Board on the organization of the Department of Chemistry’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 18 January 1944, pp. 338–339.
  17. 15. J. Baddiley, D. M. Brown, ‘Alexander Todd’ in The 1702 Chair of Chemistry at Cambridge, (Eds: M. D. Archer, C.D. Haley), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2005 pp. 210–236.
  18. 16. D. A. Haydon, R. H. Ottewill, ‘The Department of Colloid Science, University of Cambridge’, Chemistry and Industry July 14 1962, 1267–1272.
  19. 17. S. Harding, ‘Paley Johnson 12 February 1917 – 11 February 2011’, Trinity Annual Record 2011, 139–145.
  20. 18. Q. H. Gibson, ‘Francis John Worsley Roughton 1899 – 1972’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1973, 19, 562–582.
  21. 19. R. D. Keynes, ‘Denis Arthur Haydon, 21 February 1930 – 29 November 1988’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1990, 36, 199–216.
  22. 20. B. Vincent, `Ronald Harry Ottewill, 8 February 1927 – 4 June 2008’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2009, 55, 157–184.
  23. 21. ‘Department of Colloid Science, report for the year 1955–56’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 8 March 1957, pp. 905–916; 1956–57, ibid., 10 March 1958, pp. 946–954; 1956–57, ibid., 16 March 1959, pp. 962–969; 1958–59, ibid., 14 March 1960, pp. 1001–1006; 1959–60, ibid., 28 March 1961, pp. 1218–1224; 1960–61, ibid., 4 May 1962, pp. 1478–1483; 1961–62, ibid., 4 April 1963, pp. 1200–1206; 1962–63, ibid., 9 April 1964, pp. 1270–1276; 1963–64, ibid., 5 April 1965, pp. 1319–1320; 1964–65, ibid., 27 May 1966, p. 1947.
  24. 22. ‘Endowment of work in Surface Chemistry’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 16 July 1952, p. 1574.
  25. 23. ‘Revised Report of the Council of the Senate on the approval of regulations for the Ernest Oppenheimer fund’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 26 November 1959, p. 435.
  26. 24. ‘Report of the Council of the Senate on the Quick Professorship, the J.H. Plummer Professorship of Colloid Science, the Bles Bequest, and related subjects’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 12 May 1965, pp. 1774–1778.
  27. 25. ‘Financial management information for the year ended 31 July 2024’, Camb. Univ. Reporter, Special No. 4, 28 March 2025, Section J: Trust funds, p. 46.
  28. 26. B. Balmer, M. Godwin, J. Gregory, ‘The Royal Society and the “brain drain”: natural scientists meet social science.’ Notes Rec. R. Soc. 2009, 63, 339–353.
  29. 27. University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Annual Report of 1984–5.
  30. 28. J. Harris, ‘Karl Weissenberg 1893–1976’, Rheol. Acta 1976, 15, 281–282.
  31. 29. H. G. Muller, ‘Viscoelasticity and the Weissenberg Rheogoniometer’, Nature No. 4838 July 28 1962, pp. 235–236.
  32. 30. K. Walters, Rheometry, Chapman and Hall, London, 1975.
  33. 31. P. U. A. Grossman, On the rheology of continuous media, PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge Department of Colloid Science 1958.
  34. 32. ‘The Papers of Karl Weissenberg’, Box 2, Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge UK.
  35. 33. ‘ACTA 17 October 1959’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 21 October 1959, p. 271.
  36. 34. Ref. 3, Letter from L.M. Harvey (Senior Assistant Registrar) to Roughton, dated 11 July 1962.
  37. 35. Ref. 3, ‘Request to the general board that Dr Ottewill's re-appointment as A.D.R. should be for the normal period of 5 years i.e. till 31 December 1968 instead of ending on 30 September 1966’, Draft typescript of six-page memorandum from Roughton.
  38. 36. Ref. 3, Draft letter from Roughton to L. M. Harvey (Senior Assistant Registrar) dated 23 November 1962.
  39. 37. R. Ottewill, ‘Douglas Hugh Everett, 26 December 1916 – 25 June 2002’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2004, 50, 93–107
  40. 38. H. K. Moffatt, ‘George Keith Batchelor, 8 March 1920 – 30 March 2000’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2002, 48, 25–41.
  41. 39. P. Davidson, ‘John Frank Davidson, 7 February 1926 – 25 December 2019’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2025, 78, 103–125.
  42. 40. F. Dainton, B. A. Thrush, ‘Ronald George Wreyford Norrish 1897–1978’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1981, 27, 378–424.
  43. 41. S. Mitton, Conflict in the cosmos : Fred Hoyle's life in science, Joseph Henry Press, Washington DC 2005.
  44. 42. ‘Report of the council of senate on the Quick professorship, the J.H.Plummer professorship of colloid science, the Bles Bequest, and related subjects: Notice’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 20 October 1965, pp. 318–319.
  45. 43. ‘Graces submitted to the Regent House on 20 October 1965’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 20 October 1965, p. 333.
  46. 44. ‘Report of the council of senate on the Quick professorship, the J.H.Plummer professorship of colloid science, the Bles Bequest, and related subjects: Notice’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 27 October 1965, p.358.
  47. 45. ‘Report of the council of the Senate on the Quick professorship, the J.H.Plummer professorship of colloid science, the Bles Bequest, and related subjects: Notice’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 10 November 1965, p.462.
  48. 46. University of Cambridge Statutes and Ordinances, https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/ (accessed 14 February 2026).
  49. 47. ‘The future of the J.H. Plummer Professorship of Colloid Science’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 15 December 1965, p.686.
  50. 48. ‘The transfer of the Plummer Professorship and the future of Colloid Science in Cambridge’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 15 December 1965, pp. 687–688.
  51. 49. ‘John Bradfield 1925–2014’, Anonymous obituary published in the Daily Telegraph on 18 October 2014 and republished in the Trinity Annual Record, 2015, pp. 164–166.
  52. 50. J. Needham, Science & society in ancient China, (The Conway memorial Lecture) Watts & Co., London 1947.
  53. 51. M. S. Longair, ‘Sir Alfred Brian Pippard, 7 September 1920 – 21 September 2008’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2009, 55, 201–220.
  54. 52. A. B. Pippard, ‘To all members of the Regent House in the Department of Physics’, Ref. 3, Memo dated 3 December 1965.
  55. 53. ‘ACTA. Grace 1 of 10 November 1965’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 15 December 1965, p. 681.
  56. 54. B. Pippard, ‘Sir Nevill Francis Mott, 30 September 1905 – 8 August 1996’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1998, 44, 315–328.
  57. 55. Ref. 12, p. 76.
  58. 56. Ref. 12, p. 64.
  59. 57. P. Lachmann, ‘The two cultures at Cambridge’, Europ. Review 2018, 27, 46–53.
  60. 58. Ref. 12, p. 169 and p. 190.
  61. 59. P. Johnson, From an Ivory Tower, Blurb Inc., San Francisco, 2010.
  62. 60. A. D. Buckingham, ‘John Wilfrid Linnett, 3 August 1913 – 7 November 1975’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1977, 23, 310–343.
  63. 61. ‘Report of the General Board on Colloid Science’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 31 January 1968, pp. 1129–1134.
  64. 62. ‘Report of the Council of the Senate on the Professorships on the John Humphrey Plummer Foundation’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 31 January 1968, p. 1128.
  65. 63. ‘Report of Discussion’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 28 February 1968, pp. 1247–1253.
  66. 64. ‘Colloid Science: Notice’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 5 June 1968, pp. 2098–2100.
  67. 65. ‘Advisory committee for the Professorship of Biophysics: Notice’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 12 February 1969, p. 992.
  68. 66. A. Huxley, ‘Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, 5 February 1914 – 20 December 1998’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2000, 46, 219–241.
  69. 67. ‘John Humphrey Plummer Professorship of Biophysics: election’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 13 August 1969, p. 2356.
  70. 68. R. M. Simmons, ‘Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley, 22 November 1917 – 30 May 2012’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2018, 64, 179–215.
  71. 69. P. Randle, ‘Frank George Young, 25 March 1908 – 20 September 1988’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1999, 45, 581–599.
  72. 70. M. Warner, ‘Sir Sam Edwards, 1 February 1928 – 7 July 2015’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2017, 63, 243--271.
  73. 71. J. D. F. Ramsay, ‘The history of the Industrial Physical Chemistry Group — the early years’, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015. https://www.rsc.org/images/IPCH-history-Feb-2016_tcm18-248104.pdf (accessed 1/08/2025).
  74. 72. Chester Chronicle, 10 July 1965, p. 10.
  75. 73. Science Research Council Science Board, ‘Report of a multidisciplinary panel on the science of colloidal dispersions’, January 1972.
  76. 74. Ref. 73. The alumni of the CUDCS on the panel were Prof. D. D. Eley (Chemistry, Nottingham), Dr D. A. Haydon (Physiology, Cambridge), Prof. R. H. Ottewill (Chemistry, Bristol) and Dr B. A. Pethica (Unilever Ltd). Other members were the chairman Prof. G. Allen (Chemistry, Manchester), Prof. S. F. Edwards (Physics, Manchester), Prof. D. H. Everett (Chemistry, Bristol), Prof. G. D. Parfitt (Tioxide International Ltd), Dr D. Tabor (Physics, Cambridge) and the SRC Secretary Dr S. M. Mellows.
  77. 75. G. K. Batchelor, Fluid Mechanics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1967, pp. 250–255.
  78. 76. J. Field, ‘David Tabor 23 October 1913 – 26 November 2005’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 2008, 54, 425–459.
  79. 77. D. Tabor, R. H. S. Winterton, ‘The direct measurement of normal and retarded van der Waals forces’, Proc. R. Soc. A 1969, 312, 435–450.
  80. 78. J. N. Israelachvili, D. Tabor, ‘The measurement of van der Waals dispersion forces in the range 1.45 to 130 nm’, Proc. R. Soc. A 1972, 331, 19–38.
  81. 79. J. N. Israelachvili, Intermolecular and surface forces : with applications to colloidal and biological systems, Academic, London, 1985.
  82. 80. G. Allen, ‘Geoffrey Gee, 6 June 1910 – 13 December 1996’, Biogr. Mem. Fellows R. Soc. 1999, 45, 183–194.
  83. 81. M. Doi, S. F. Edwards, The theory of polymer dynamics, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1986.
  84. 82. B. Vincent, ‘The RSC and SCI Joint Colloids Group’s Three Awards: the Legacies of Graham, McBain and Rideal’, https://colloidsgroup.org.uk/assets/images/stories/Newsletter/paper-BV-JCG_medals-JCG_website.pdf (accessed 9/10/2025).
  85. 83. ‘Report of Discussion’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 26 October 1955, p. 303.
  86. 84. ‘Report to the General Board of the Committee of the Board on the organization of teaching and research in Agriculture in the University’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 1 November 1967, pp. 517–530; ibid., 31 January 1968, pp. 1134–1136; ibid., 7 May 1969, pp. 1695–1698; ibid., 28 May 1969, p. 1818.
  87. 85. ‘Report of the General Board on future developments in applied biology’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 28 May 1987, pp. 621–623; ibid., 17 June 1987, pp. 736–744; ibid., 11 November 1987, pp. 115–118, p.134; ibid., 25 November 1987, p. 179; ibid., 2 December 1988, pp. 250–252; ibid., 1 February 1989, p. 336.
  88. 86. ‘Report of the General Board on the establishment of a BP Professorship of Petroleum Science and related matters’ and ‘Report of the Council on the construction of a building for the BP Institute at Madingley Rise’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 29 July 1998, p. 969.
  89. 87. ‘BP Institute to be renamed the Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF), University of Cambridge’, News release by Cambridge University, 14 October 2022. https://www.cam.ac.uk/notices/news/bp-institute-to-be-renamed-the-institute-for-energy-and-environmental-flows-ieef-university-of (accessed 3 August 2025).
  90. 88. S. Smith, ‘Cambridge University students and academics occupy BP institute demanding end to fossil fuel funding’, Independent 17 May 2022. https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/cambridge-university-students-and-academics-occupy-bp-institute-b2080786.html (accessed 3 August 2025).
  91. 89. ‘Grace for submission to the Regent House (fossil fuel Industry ties)’, Camb. Univ. Reporter 27 July 2022, p. 640, and ‘Discussion’, ibid. 30 November 2022, 157–172.

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.