William Lewis

Who is William Lewis?

William Cudmore McCullagh Lewis was Brunner Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Liverpool.

He was born in Belfast, the son of linen merchant Edward Lewis and his wife Francis Welsh McCullagh. He was educated at Bangor Grammar School. Co. Down and the Royal University of Ireland, Belfast where he studied physics and chemistry. After gaining an MA degree in 1906 he was a Demonstrator for a year and then moved to England to do research in physical chemistry at the University of Liverpool. There he was awarded a scholarship to work at Heidelberg University for a year.

He was appointed Brunner Professor of Physical Chemistry in 1913. In 1918 he propounded his theory of chemical reaction which came to be called the "Collision Theory". A similar theory was also propounded by Max Trautz in Germany in 1916, unbeknown to Lewis because of the first World War.

In 1926 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. His candidature citation described him thus :Distinguished for his researches in physical chemistry. Has carried out most valuable and important investigations on the energy relationship of chemical change and was one of the first to apply the energy quantum theory to chemical reaction. His pioneer work in this field has proved to be of great value and has opened up a very promising field of research. Author of: - 'A System of Physical Chemistry.' Has published a large number of original papers on many problems in physical chemistry in addition to a long series of papers on the radiation theory of reaction.