Item 0025 - Letter, 3 September 1886

Alexander William Williamson was born on May 1, 1824, in Wandsworth, London, England.

He was an English chemist. He studied at the University of Heidelberg, University of Giessen (Ph.D., 1845) and spent three years in Paris studying higher mathematics under Auguste Comte. In 1849, he was appointed Professor of Analytical and Practical Chemistry at University College, London. In 1855, Williamson became the chair of general (theoretical) chemistry, a position he held until his retirement in 1887. He is credited for his research on the formation of ether by the interaction of sulphuric acid and alcohol, known as the Williamson ether synthesis. In 1855, Williamson became a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1862, he received a Royal Medal for his work on etherification. He also served as its foreign secretary from 1873 to 1889. He was twice president of the London Chemical Society (1863-1865, 1869-1871).

In 1855, he married Emma Catherine Key (1831–1923). He died on May 6, 1904, in Hindhead, Surrey, England.