Smith, Watson 1845 - 1920

Watson Smith (16 June 1845-1 May 1920), industrial chemist. He was born in Stroud and eceived his early training in chemistry under Sir .Henry Roscoe at Owens College, Manchester, which he entered in 1862. His chemical education was continued at Heidelberg, and later on at Zurich. After some years spent in industry, he was appointed Lecturer in Technological Chemistry in Owens College, a position he retained until 1889, and on leaving Manchester to reside in London, he became for a. period the Professor of Applied Chemistry at University College. Shortly after his appointment at Owens College, the Society of Chemical Industry was founded, in 1881, and he became the first editor of the Journal of the Society, a post he held for thirty-two years. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1866. He contributed to several areas of chemistry, most notably on the chemistry of coal and coal-tar, and he wrote several books including 'The Chemistry of Hat Manufacturing', based on a series of Lectures delivered before the Hat Manufacturers' Association in 1887 and 1888.