Thomas graham early life

Few people can truly claim to have impressed one of the world’s finest scientists by the age of 14. Thomas Graham could. Despite battling with personal tragedy and a nervous disposition throughout his 64 years, Graham nonetheless succeeded in leaving his mark on the world.

'Graham's Law'

Born in Glasgow in 1805, Thomas Graham joined Anderson’s Institution (now the University of Strathclyde) as a Professor of Chemistry in 1830.

The 29 research papers Graham published during his time at Anderson’s Institution laid the groundwork for his international reputation. In 1833 he published 'On the Law of the Diffusion of Gases', a ground breaking work. Today, this discovery is known as ‘Graham’s Law’.

Master of the Mint

Graham moved to London after seven fruitful years at Anderson’s Institution and became a Professor of Chemistry at the recently-founded University College. He went on to further greatness – by 1844 he was recognised as the leading chemist in England.

He remained at University College until 1854, when he followed in the footsteps of Newton in his appointment as Master of the Mint.

A lesser well known fact is that Graham also invented the forerunner of today's dialysis machine in 1861. He invented what he called a ‘dialyzer’ to separate colloids and crystalloids. The method of separation is exactly that used in modern-day dialysis to separate urea from blood, while his ‘dialyzer’ predates the dialysis machine that plays a vital role in the treatment of kidney disease.

Thomas Graham’s pioneering work is commemorated with a statue in George Square, and the Thomas Graham Building at the University of Strathclyde houses the Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry. Greatly admired by his peers, one obituary declared:

It might be difficult to find in history a character so perfect in its nobic simplicity and elevation

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A cable dispatch from London reports the death in that city of Thomas Graham, the celebrated chemist and Master of the Mint. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 21st of December, 1805his father being a merchant and manufacturer in that city. Mr. Graham was educated at Glasgow School, and subsequently at the University of Glasgow,where he graduated, taking the degree of M.A., in 1826. He then moved to Edinburgh, but at the end of two years,returned to his native place and established a laboratory for the practical study of chemistry. He also lectured at the Mechanics Institute, and was elected Andersonian Professor at Glasgow. This office he held until 1837, when he resigned for the purpose of accepting the Professorship of Chemistry in the London University, to which he had been appointed. In 1855 Sir John Herschel retired from the Mastership of the Mint, and Mr. Graham was appointed to fill the vacancy, holding the position with credit until his death. There has probably been no chemist in Great Britain of equal ability to Mr. Graham during the past quarter of a century. His study of the sciences was complete, and his discoveries and works have been of great scientific importance to the world. His most remarkable discoveries were the law pf the diffusion of gases, the diffusion of liquids,and the new method of separation known as dialysis. For the first named discovery he received the Kieth prize of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1834, and for the last, the Copley medal of the Royal Society in 1862. Ofhis literary productions, the most important and best known.is »Elements of Chemistv,»which has been extensively circulated a

Thomas Graham was a Scottish chemist best known for his leading work in the diffusion and dialysis of gases.

Early Life

Graham was born on December 21st, 1805 in Glasgow, Scotland. He was the son of a prosperous manufacturer who wanted him to become a church minister. At the age of 14, Graham entered University of Glasgow. While in the university, he was strongly influenced by the chemistry lectures of Thomas Thomson. After getting his M.A . in 1826, he worked for 2 years with Thomas Hope at the University of Edinburgh. After this, he went back to Glasgow where he taught mathematics and chemistry for one year. In 1829, Graham became an assistant at a school where he taught science. Later, in 1830, he was appointed professor of chemistry at Anderson’s College in Glasgow.

Work

In 1834, he became a fellow of the Royal Society. After three years he moved to London, where he became professor of chemistry. In 1841, Graham helped in founding the Chemistry Society of London; this was the first national chemistry society.

Graham became the very first president of the Chemical Society of London and by 1844, Graham was generally acknowledged as the leading chemist in England. He remained in this university for 20 years until he was appointed Master of the Mint in 1854. Graham was an organized, logical and a very accurate teacher. When he became Master of the Mint he took the position very seriously, such that he stopped his research work for several years.

Awards

Due to his great work, Thomas Graham received several awards such as the Copley Medal of the Royal Society in 1862, the Prix Jecker of the Paris Academy of Sciences in 1862 a

Thomas Graham lived from 21 December 1805 to 16 September 1869. He was an eminent chemist remembered in the name of "Graham's Law", which relates to the diffusion of gases. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline.

Thomas Graham was born in Glasgow. His father was a successful textile manufacturer who wanted his son to become a minister in the Church of Scotland. Graham became a student at the University of Glasgow in 1819, still aged only 14. While there, Graham developed an interest in chemistry and, despite his father's wishes, went on to study it full time, being awarded an M.A. in 1826. He then worked at the University of Edinburgh for two years before returning to Glasgow to teach chemistry and mathematics. In 1830 he became a professor of chemistry at Anderson's Institution (later the University of Strathclyde) in Glasgow.

In 1834, Graham was elected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1837 he became professor of chemistry at University College, London, a post he was to hold until 1854. In 1841 he helped to found the Chemical Society of London and became its first president. By the mid 1840s, Graham was acknowledged as the leading British chemist of his day. In 1854 he was appointed Master of the Mint (a post once occupied by Isaac Newton) remaining in post until his death in 1869.

Thomas Graham did much to develop what would now be regarded as the field of physical chemistry, and a book he wrote, Elements of Chemistry, became the standard textbook for students in Britain, as well as in many parts of Europe and beyond. Today he is perhaps best remembered for "Graham's Law" which states that the rate of diffusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molecular weight. Graham's law provided a basis for separating isotopes by diffusion, something that la