The author is grateful to the archivists at the University of London and King’s College London, who have provided him with much useful information, and to the University of London for granting him access to the 1950–53 minutes of the ICI/T&N Fellowship Committee. He is also grateful to C. Cardin, W. Fuller, A. Neidle, D. Neidle and Z. Waller for much helpful comment and advice.