David Hall (15 February 1928 – 15 June 2016) was a New Zealand chemist, best known as an X-ray crystallographer.

Biography

A student at

Auckland University College The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loca ...

, Hall graduated

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

in 1950 and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in 1955. The title of his thesis was ''The Crystal Structure of Formamidoxime''. He was one of the first research students in New Zealand in the area of X-ray crystallography, following the establishment of that research area at Auckland University College by John Llewellyn in 1948. The subject of both his master's and doctoral theses was the crystal structure of formamidoxime. Hall was appointed to the academic staff of the Department of Chemistry at Auckland in 1950, and following the departure of Llewellyn in 1956, he became head of the crystallography research group. He was appointed professor and head of the Department of Chemistry at Auckland in 1965, but left to become professor of chemistry at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

the following year. However, he returned to Auckland in 1968, and succeeded

Peter de la Mare Sir Peter de la Mare (died after 1387) was an English politician and Speaker of the House of Commons during the Good Parliament of 1376. Family His parents were probably Sir Reginald de la Mare (died before 1358), of Yatton and Little He ...

as head of department in 1980, serving in that role until his retirement in 1984, when he was conferred with the title of

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

by the university. Hall was appointed chair of the New Zealand University Grants Committee in late 1984. Hall was awarded a

DSc DSC or Dsc may refer to: Education * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dyal Sin ...

by thesis from the University of Auckland in 1969, and he was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...

in 1972. His doctoral students included Neil Waters, Guy Dodson, and

Ted Baker Ted Baker is a British clothing brand founded in 1988 in Glasgow, Scotland, which traded in shops under the Ted Baker name until falling into administration in March 2024. It was relaunched online in November 2024. The brand is styled as 'Ted B ...

. Hall died at his home in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

on 15 June 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, David 1928 births 2016 deaths University of Auckland alumni Academic staff of the University of Auckland New Zealand chemists Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand Academic staff of the University of Alberta Crystallographers