Sir Henry Tizard died at his home in Hampshire on 9th October, 1959, at the age of 74.
Sir Henry was educated at Westminister School and in 1930 was awarded a demyship in mathematics and science at Magdalen College, Oxford. He gained a first-class honours degree in mathematical moderations and in 1905 turned to chemistry, obtaining first-class honours in 1908. He continued his studies in Berlin under Nernst for a year, but ill health forced him to return to England and he worked at the Davy Faraday Laboratory at the Royal Institution. In 1911 he was elected to a Fellowship at Oriel College, Oxford, and lectured in natural science.
During the 1914-18 war Sir Henry served first in the Royal Artillery and then in the Royal Flying Corps as a fighter pilot and was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1918. He also worked on aeronautical research and aircraft development and in the position of assistant controller of aerial experiment and research became a member of the Aeronautical Research Committee, of which he was to be chairman in 1933 and a development commissioner in 1934.
Sir Henry returned to Oxford after the war and in 1920 joined the newly-formed Department of Scientific and Industrial Research as assistant secretary, becoming secretary in 1927. Two years later, however, he accepted the position of Rector of the Imperial College of Science and Technology and until 1942, when he was elected President of Magdalen College, Oxford, he combined College affairs with Government advisory work. Sir Henry had continued to study methods of aerial defence and his guidance both before 1939 and later was of great value to the country. He was a member of the Council of the Ministry of Aircraft Production and was also a member of the Air Council.
In 1946 he left Magdalen College to devote more time to public service, one of his appointments being principal scientific adviser to the Government in the Ministry of Defence. He was chairman of the Advisory Committee on Scientific Policy, of the Defence Research Policy Committee and of the Committee on Industrial Productivity. As President of the British Association he led a scientific commission to Australia in 1948. Between 1952 and 1954 Sir Henry retired from the various Government committees on which he had served.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and had been made a Companion of the Bath in 1927, K.C.B. in 1937 and G.C.B. two years later.
Sir Henry’s association with the Institution was principally in his capacity as Rector of Imperial College, but also as President of the Fourth Empire Mining and Metallurgical Congress held in 1949 in London and Oxford. Honorary Membership of the Institution was conferred on him in 1951 in recognition of his outstanding services to science, industry and education.
Vol. 69, Trans IMM 1959-60, pp.611-612
