Dr Philip Evans 

Churchill 1967 

Philip read Natural Sciences here before going on to complete a PhD with Geoff Wilkinson at Imperial College. Philip had a successful career teaching Physics and Chemistry first at St Paul’s School and eventually becoming Headmaster at Bedford School.  He was awarded an OBE for his role in advising both the Major and Blair administrations on education. He retired in 2008 and lives in France. 

I think the ‘60s in particular was a special time and we undergraduates were very lucky. Cambridge as a University was more open to all, regardless of social or educational background. Getting a place at the University was increasingly a matter of ability rather than which public school you had attended or who your father was. 

Key figures who stood out were Dudley Williams (Churchill), Jack Linnett (Sidney Sussex) and Alan Sharpe (Jesus), who taught me. Lord Todd was Head of Department, but because it wasn’t unified yet, when you entered you had to turn left to get to physical chemistry and right to organic chemistry! We had the last ever Tripos practical examination of seven hours before the final move to continuous assessment; the student opposite me cooked kippers in a beaker for his lunch! There was still a long vac term that summer, when I did practical work in the labs in the morning and learnt to punt in the afternoon. 

It’s easy to forget how privileged we were: University was free and the means-tested grants – not loans – were adequate to live on. Much has changed socially and so on but much has remained the same too. The Lensfield Road building still looks on dispassionately as students continue to enjoy their chemistry.

Prof. Robin Perutz 

Pembroke 1968

Robin read Natural Sciences here and started his PhD with James Turner, completing it at the University of Newcastle when Jim moved his Research Group there. After positions in Mülheim, Edinburgh and Oxford, Robin joined the University of York in 1983, where he led a Research Group in organometallic photochemistry, small molecule activation, catalysis and solar fuels. He was elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society in 2010. He has just published an interdisciplinary book on photochemistry and photobiology. 

I think what was special was the education we had and the demands it made on the students. I also met some remarkable people. Ian Fleming was my supervisor for organic chemistry; his clarity was amazing. And of course Jack Lewis was a lovely character, always taking an interest. I learnt it’s the people that count. The most direct effect of the “60s zeitgeist” for me was that students started expecting their voices to be heard. Staff didn’t really know what to do with the new student committees and weren’t very good at listening! I probably first got to know Anne Lyon when we were committee members. I think our biggest achievement was that the physical chemists were allowed to share the coffee room with the inorganic/organic chemists.

One of the issues that concerned me over the years was the lack of women in science. I am proud of my role in achieving the Athena SWAN gold standard in York chemistry. I have to say, Cambridge was appalling in the ‘60s: there were no female academic staff and the number of female undergrads was tiny. The changes have come very, very slowly, but things are getting better. I’m pleased to see one of the most recent appointments was Ruth Webster, an inspired appointment in inorganic chemistry. 

Dr Anne Lyon (née Butland) 

Newnham 1967

After obtaining a Natural Sciences degree, Anne completed her PhD here with Colin Reese and Jim Staunton. Anne then held a Research Fellowship and Lectureship in Chemistry at Girton. In 2016 she became the first female Emeritus Fellow at Gonville and Caius and retired as Director of Development there. Anne continues to sit on College and University committees and is a valuable member of the Department’s own Philanthropy Group. 

Lab 122 was a mixture of PhD students and postdocs, and as a group we really bonded. I was the only woman in this 20-man Lab until Janet Stevenson joined, but I didn’t feel patronised and really trusted and enjoyed working with my male colleagues. In 1969 my campaign to be elected one of the first student representatives on the chemistry Department committee may well have been successful because I focused on getting the first coffee machine for students in the building. 

At Newnham I had an inspiring Director of Studies who was a chemist, Dr Delia Agar. I also remember Dr Alan Sharpe from Jesus College, who used to supervise Newnham students for inorganic chemistry and broaden our education by taking us to operas at Covent Garden.

During the first year of my PhD Lord Todd came into the Lab and said: “Where is Miss Butland?” I was not hard to find as I was the only female. I was worried because ‘Todd was God’. I was relieved to find he only wished to congratulate me on proving the structure he had given di-N-aroyl derivatives of adenosine in the 1930s was not correct. It was not difficult with the infrared, ultraviolet, NMR and mass spectrometry evidence available by the early seventies. None other than future Head of Department Jeremy Sanders helped me with this analysis.

Three inspiring people from those days died last year: Jim Staunton, Martin Mays and postdoc Dennis Buckley. And now Eddie Powell has gone. I remember them all fondly.

Dr Eddie Powell (1948-2025)

Churchill 1967

Eddie completed his undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences in 1970 followed by a PhD here with Martin Mays. He went on to have an eventful career in finance and start-ups and was a well-known entrepreneur and business angel in the Cambridge bio-tech hub. He told us he had ‘mostly retired’ 13 years ago and was enjoying travelling with his wife by train.

This testimonial was given before Eddie sadly passed away on 14 March 2025. We are honoured to share his words in remembrance.

I never had a dull moment between social life, rowing and trying to get on with my research. I mention the research last because it took up any spare time that was available. I would be in the Lab on a Saturday or Sunday; I was there any time I wasn’t doing something else, often late into the night. In those days there was more freedom to go into the Lab anytime on your own and do experiments. It’s much safer now!

I enjoyed the social life at Churchill and met my wife there. I also took up rowing and continued during my PhD. We rowed six days a week at one o’clock in the afternoon. I enjoyed the chemistry and certainly remember some exciting events when I was doing my research. I operated a vacuum line and dropped a flask of isocyanides that were very noxious and smelly. The whole Lab was evacuated and I had to wear safety equipment and clean it up myself.

I was in a big Lab with eight benches, so there were always lots of interesting people around. I particularly remember a very interesting Lab technician named Wally – he was past retirement age but came in and helped anyway. I also got to know Brian Johnson, who had some group members in the Lab. In fact he and his wife came around for tea recently.It shows you how those friendships we made then last a lifetime. 

This article was originally published in Chem@Cam magazine Issue 70.