Gibson, Reginald Oswald 1902 - 1983

(1902 – 1983) Research Chemist

Reginald Oswald Gibson was born on 30th September 1902 in Dulwich. In 1921 he attended University College London and obtained a first-class BSc degree in Chemistry. Following this, he would join Leiden University as a junior researcher before moving to Brunner, Mond and Co as a research chemist at their Winnington site. Just after Gibson joined the company it merged with Nobel Explosives, the United Alkali Company, and British Dyestuffs Corporation to form Imperial Chemical Industries.

In 1928 Gibson was seconded to Amsterdam University to work with Anton Michels. Whilst here he would obtain a PhD and was the first ICI employee to be trained in high-pressure engineering at Amsterdam. In 1931 he returned to Winnington to work on the chemical effects of high pressure alongside Eric William Fawcett. In 1933 he was involved in an experiment to react ethylene with benzaldehyde at high pressure and temperature that produced a small amount of polymer of ethylene. This was not found until the equipment was disassembled though and the commercial production that followed was based on the work of another team.

During the Second World War R.O. Gibson continued at ICI working on anti-knock additives for aviation fuel. Following this, he would become the chief chemist, and later Research and Development Manager, at Associated Ethyl Co. Illness would cause him to step down from a management position but he would continue as a scientific advisor until his retirement in 1963.

Reginald Oswald Gibson died on 22nd July 1983 at the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth.