John Shields died on October 31st, 1920, at the age of 50.
From 1886 to 1889 he was a science student at the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated with the degree of B.Sc. He then spent a year at the University of Strassburg, where he graduated as Ph.D., and he followed this by two years at the University of Leipzig and the University College of Stockholm. From 1892 to 1893 he was engaged on research work as an 1851 Exhibition scholar with Sir W. Ramsay at University College, London, and in this period graduated as D.Sc. (University of Edinburgh). In 1893 he became private assistant to the late Dr. Ludwig Mond, and worked in his private laboratory, in the Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory at University College, and in Messrs. Brunner, Mond’s alkali works at Northwich.
From 1899 to 1902 he was resident scientific and technical adviser to the Scottish Cyanide Co., Ltd., Leven, Fife, N.B., in the latter year resuming his position for a short while as private assistant to Dr. Mond. In 1903 he was appointed chemical and metallurgical engineer to the Rio Tinto Co., Ltd., in London and Spain, and he retained his connection with that company practically to the date of his death. In addition to the work indicated in this brief summary, Dr. Shields had many other activities.
He was the author or joint-author of numerous papers on scientific and technical subjects. For a number of years he was Examiner in Chemistry respectively to the Science and Art Department, the University of Aberdeen, and the Institution of Civil Engineers, and he delivered courses of lectures on Physical Chemistry at the Royal College of Science, and on Electro-Chemistry and Electro-Metallurgy at Glasgow.
Dr. Shields was elected a Member of the Institution in 1911.
Vol. 31, Trans I.M.M., 1921-22, pp.583-4
