 |
Sir Jack Drummond (1891-1952)
This lecture series, usually held annually at Queen
Mary, University of London, originated in 1978 and
is dedicated to Sir Jack Drummond who was the first
Professor of Biochemistry in the University of London
(at University College). Sir Jack graduated in Chemistry
from Queen Mary College (then called East London College)
in 1912. He pioneered research on vitamins in the
1930s and played a key role during the Second World
War in advising Lord Woolton at the Ministry of Food
about vitamin supplements to rations. He was also
involved with setting up MAFF. He was given a knighthood
for his contributions in this area. |
| The salient points of Jack Drummond’s
life are: • 1912 Graduated in Chemistry (QMC
– then called East London College).
• First Professor of Biochemistry at University
College London.
• 1930’s and 1940’s - Pioneered
research on vitamins.
• Advised Lord Woolton at the Ministry of food
about vitamin supplements in rations during WWII.
• Knighted during World War II.
• Key role in setting up MAFF.
• Murdered with wife and daughter whilst on
holiday in France (1952).
Further details can be found in a memoir written
by Frank Young (Obit. Notices of Fellows of the Royal
Society, 1954, 9, 99-128).
In the early 1970s a group of chemists and biologists
at Queen Mary College (initially G F Betts, R Bonnett,
D A McCarthy, V Moses, G P Moss, T G Nichols and D
G Springham) sought to raise the level of activity
and awareness in the biochemical area at the College,
especially in regard to a collaborative approach to
teaching and research. In 1976, a Biochemistry Group
was set up by the Academic Board for this purpose.
As part of its activity, the Biochemistry Group decided
to introduce an annual lecture named for Sir Jack
Drummond, and the necessary approvals were obtained
from both the College and Drummond’s family
for this. It turned out that Drummond had no surviving
blood relatives, but his first wife (Mabel Drummond,
who had also graduated from East London College in
1912) warmly approved the proposal. She wrote on March
19th 1978
Dear Professor Bonnett,
Thank you for much for sending me the poster about
the first Drummond lecture. It is thoughtful of
you to let me know about it, and a comfort to me
to realise that Jack is still remembered in his
old college.
Yours sincerely,
Mabel Drummond
We were very pleased to have the family represented
at the First Drummond Lecture by Dr Sheila Tyrrell,
Jack Drummond’s niece by marriage.
The Lecture has been supported since 1978 by the
Drummond Memorial Fund set up (at University College,
London) for ‘the advancement of knowledge and
promotion and encouragement of education and research
in nutrition and branches of science related thereto’,
and by Queen Mary, University of London.
The lectures delivered in this College since 1978
are as follows:
|
| Date |
Lecturer |
Title |
| 1978 |
Professor D M Blow, FRS
(Imperial College London)
|
Chymotrypsin and its mode of action |
| 1979 |
Professor R L Wain, CBE, FRS (Canterbury)
|
Chemicals which regulate plant growth |
| 1980 |
Professor H R V Arnstein
(Kings College London)
|
Ribosomes, protein factors and the control of protein
biosynthesis |
| 1981 |
Professor Brenda E Ryman (Charing Cross Hospital Medical
School)
|
Liposomes – from model membranes to carriers
of therapeutic agents |
| 1982 |
Professor E M Crook
(Bart’s Hospital Medical College)
|
Food and the rise of biotechnology |
| 1983 |
Professor H Baum
(Chelsea College, London)
|
The mystery of antimitochondrial antibodies in man |
| 1984 |
Professor A R Fersht, FRS
(Imperial College)
|
Site-directed mutagenesis of enzyme structure and
activity |
| 1985 |
Professor D Robinson (Newcastle) |
Genetic effects on enzyme levels |
| 1986 |
Dr Aaron Klug, FRS
(Cambridge) |
The structure of chromatin |
| 1987 |
Professor J R Postgate, FRS (Sussex) |
The molecular enzymology of nitrogenase |
| 1988 |
Professor R J P Williams, FRS
(Oxford)
|
Electronic and electrolytic devices in biology |
| 1989 |
Dr P D J Weitzman
(South Glamorgan) |
The citric acid cycle: variety’s the very spice
of life |
| 1991 |
Professor T L Blundell
(Birkbeck) |
Enzyme three-dimensional structure and rational drug
design |
| 1993 |
Professor J John Holbrook (Bristol)
|
Opportunities and limits in the creation of new enzyme
proteins by man and
nature |
| 1994 |
Dr P R Rich
(Glyn Research Institute) |
The molecular basis of energy transduction in photosynthesis
and
respiration |
| 1995 |
Professor M Akhtar, FRS (Southampton) |
The dioxygen-iron bond: from rust to sex |
| 1996 |
Professor R Cogdell
(Glasgow) |
The structural basis of harvesting of light energy
in purple photosynthetic
bacteria. A circular argument |
| 1997 |
Professor S K Chapman (Edinburgh) |
Flavocytochromes: Nature’s electrical transformers |
| 1998 |
Professor S Ferguson
(Oxford) |
Biological nitrogen cycles: how they work at a molecular
level |
| 1999 |
Professor I Campbell, FRS (Oxford) |
Modular Proteins in cell adhesion and signalling |
| 2000 |
Dr Bob Baxter
(Edinburgh) |
Vitamins and coenzymes – Nature’s magic
reagents |
| 2001 |
Professor Nigel S. Scrutton (Leicester) |
Particles, waves and bangs: do we really understand
how enzymes work? |
| 2002 |
Professor John Allen
(Lund) |
The balancing act. Redox poise and signalling |
| 2003 |
Professor C. Neil Hunter (Sheffield) |
Painting the planet green: from porphyrin to chlorophyll
in six easy steps |
| 2004 |
Professor Chris Abell
(Cambridge) |
From Biosynthesis to Biotech |
| 2005 |
Professor Jim Barber
Imperial College London |
Photosystem II, the water splitting enzyme of photosynthesis: Structure and Mechanisms |
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