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Dr Arthur John Birch (August
3,
1915 -
December 8,
1995) was an
organic chemist from
Australia. Birch developed the
"Birch
Reduction" of aromatic rings
which is widely used in synthetic
organic chemistry, the Birch
Reduction enables the modification
of
steroids allowing for the
development of the
contraceptive pill, other
steroid drugs and
antibiotics.
Birch won a scholarship to
attend the
University of Sydney
graduating with a
BSc in
1937 and a
MSc in
1938. He travelled to
Oxford University to undertake
his
PhD, graduating in
1940. He remained a research
Fellow at Oxford until
1948 working under Sir
Robert Robinson, when he
became the Smithson Fellow at the
University of Cambridge were
he remained until
1952. At Cambridge he worked
with Lord
Alexander Todd.
He returned to Australia in
1952 to take up a
Prefessorship in organic chemistry
at the University of Sydney, he
was made a Fellow of the
Australian Academy of Science
in
1954. He held his position at
the University of Sydney until
1955 when he took a similar
position at
Manchester University. He was
made a
Fellow of the Royal Society in
1958.
Birch returned to Australia
again in
1967 to establish the Research
School of Chemistry at the
Australian National University
in
Canberra, becoming its
founding dean. He remained involed
with the school until
1980. He served as President
of the Royal Australian Chemical
Institute from
1977 to
1978, and also chaired the
1977 Independent Inquiry into
CSIRO.
He served as President of the
Australian Academy of Science from
1982 to
1986. Birch was made a
Companion of the
Order of Australia (AC) in
1987 for his contributions to
science in Australia.He was
awarded Honorary Fellowship of the
Royal Australian Chemical
Institute, in
1994. He was also a founding
member of the Australian Science
and Technology Council.
Following his death in 1995,
the Reseach School of Chemistry
building was named the Birch
Building in his honour.
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