Ernest Rutherford to J. W. Mellor

18 May, 1937

Mellor Papers, Box 7, folder 7

Unpublished

After the Great Exhibition of 1851 closed, the Royal Commission was established to extend the vision of Prince Albert (as President) by increasing ‘the means of industrial education and extend the influence of science and art upon productive industry’. The 1851 Exhibition Research Awards were part of this legacy, enabling young scientists or engineers of exceptional promise to undertake research work. Both Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) and Mellor won 1851 Exhibition Research Awards: Rutherford in 1895, which allowed him to start postgraduate study at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge; Mellor in 1898, allowing him further study at Owens College, Manchester. Hearing of Mellor’s illness in 1937, Rutherford is not only encouraging, but he also acknowledges Mellor’s ‘splendid work’ in the field of chemistry.