William Hume-Rothery

William Hume-Rothery (15 May 1899 – 27 September 1968) was an English metallurgist and materials scientist who studied the constitution of alloys.

Early life and education Hume-Rothery was born the son of lawyer Joseph Hume-Rothery in Worcester Park, Surrey. His grandfather, William Rothery, was a clergyman. His grandmother, Mary Hume-Rothery, a leading campaigner against vaccination, was the daughter of Joseph Hume, a Scottish doctor and Radical Member of parliament. William spent his youth in Cheltenham and was educated at Cheltenham College. In 1917 he was made totally deaf by a virus infection. Nevertheless, he entered Magdalen College, Oxford, and obtained a first class Honours degree in chemistry. He also attended the Royal School of Mines and was awarded a PhD.

He was a member of the Oxford Philatelic Society.

Selected publications Electrons, atoms, metals, and alloys (1948, 1955, 1963) Polish edition: Elektrony, atomy, metale i stopy (translated by Romuald Romicki, 1955) French edition: Électrons, atomes, métaux et alliages (translated by G. Hilly, 1959) Elements of structural metallurgy (1961) Russian edition: Введение в физическое металловедение (translated by V.M. Glazov and S.M. Gorin, 1965)

William Hume-Rothery Award The William Hume-Rothery Award has since 1974 been awarded annually by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.

Honours and awards Hume-Rothery was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May, 1937 Awarded the Francis J. Clamer Medal in 1949.

Personal life and retirement He married Elizabeth Fea in 1931; they had a daughter Jennifer in 1934. He retired in 1966 and died in 1968.