18 Facts About James Dewar

James Dewar is best known for his invention of the vacuum flask, which he used in conjunction with research into the liquefaction of gases.

James Dewar studied atomic and molecular spectroscopy, working in these fields for more than 25 years.

James Dewar was born in Kincardine, Perthshire in 1842, the youngest of six boys of Ann Dewar and Thomas Dewar, a vintner.

James Dewar was educated at Kincardine Parish School and then Dollar Academy.

James Dewar attended the University of Edinburgh where he studied chemistry under Lyon Playfair, becoming Playfair's personal assistant.

In 1875, James Dewar was elected Jacksonian professor of natural experimental philosophy at the University of Cambridge, becoming a member of Peterhouse.

James Dewar became a member of the Royal Institution and later, in 1877, replaced Dr John Hall Gladstone in the role of Fullerian Professor of Chemistry.

James Dewar was the President of the Chemical Society in 1897 and the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1902, as well as serving on the Royal Commission established to examine London's water supply from 1893 to 1894 and the Committee on Explosives.

In 1867 James Dewar described several chemical formulas for benzene, which were published in 1869.

One of the formulae, which does not represent benzene correctly and was not advocated by James Dewar, is sometimes still called James Dewar benzene.

James Dewar was joined by Professor J A Fleming, of University College London, in the investigation of the electrical behaviour of substances cooled to very low temperatures.

James Dewar's name is most widely known in connection with his work on the liquefaction of the so-called permanent gases and his researches at temperatures approaching absolute zero.

Dewar continued his research work into the properties of elements at low temperatures, specifically low-temperature calorimetry, until the outbreak of World War I The Royal Institution laboratories lost a number of staff to the war effort, both in fighting and scientific roles, and after the war, Dewar had little interest in restarting the serious research work that went on before the war.

James Dewar died on 27 March 1923 aged 80 and was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in London.

James Dewar is presumably the same Thomas William Dewar who was mentioned as executor in James Dewar's will, ultimately replaced "unopposed" by Dewar's wife.

James Dewar was invited to deliver several Royal Institution Christmas Lectures:.

Whilst James Dewar was never recognised by the Swedish Academy, he was recognised by many other institutions both before and after his death, in Britain and overseas.

James Dewar was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1907.