Lord Alexander Robertus Todd is one of Britain's most respected scientific educators. He has had an illustrious academic career, and his vast and varied experience in scientific research is reflected in the numerous awards and honours that have been conferred on him. Alongside this, Lord Todd has distinguished himself in the service of the public, notably as advisor to Government and to private bodies on the disbursement of grants and scholarships for higher education. In Hong Kong he is perhaps best known as the first Chairman of the Croucher Foundation, which, since its establishment in 1980, has enabled large numbers of young Hong Kong people to pursue postgraduate work in science, technology and medicine in Hong Kong and overseas.
A graduate of Glasgow University, Lord Todd went to the University of Frankfurt in 1929 to study for his doctorate. Following a series of teaching and research appointments during the 30s, he was elected at the age of 30 to the Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry in the University of Manchester and, four years later, to Fellowship of the Royal Society. From Manchester he progressed to Cambridge where from 1944 to 1971 he was Professor of Organic Chemistry. In 1957 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on nucleotides and the chemical structure of nucleic acids.
During his career, Lord Todd has held the Presidencies of the Chemical Society, the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Society, and other learned bodies; the Chairmanship of both the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy and the Royal Commission on Medical Education in the UK; and the Directorship of Fisons Ltd. He was knighted in 1954 and further honoured with a life peerage in 1962 and the Order of Merit in 1977. From Germany he received the Pour le Merite (OBE) in 1966, and from Japan the Order of the Rising Sun in 1978. In addition, more than 30 universities throughout the world have recognised his contributions to the scientific community by conferring on him honorary degrees. Until 1978 he was Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. He is now Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and President of the Parliamentary Scientific Committee.
As a long-standing Trustee and subsequently Chairman of the influential Nuffield Foundation in the UK and a member of the Company of Salters of the City of London, Lord Todd already had many years of experience of advising on the disbursement of trust funds to deserving individuals for educational purposes when he was appointed Chairman of the Croucher Foundation in 1980. Under his Chairmanship, the Croucher Foundation has established itself firmly along the lines mapped out by its founder, Noel Croucher, before his death and many Hong Kong students and teachers have benefited from the new opportunities that it has opened up.
Briefly, the main activity of the Foundation is to conduct a Studentship/Scholarship/Fellowship scheme to enable young Hong Kong Chinese of outstanding ability in the fields of science, technology and medicine to develop their talents. Studentship holders proceed to a higher degree in Hong Kong, while Scholarships enable students to pursue postgraduate study and research at predoctoral level in the UK or elsewhere in the Commonwealth; Fellowships are awarded at the postdoctoral level. Additionally, the Foundation assists the research activities in institutions of higher education in Hong Kong by supporting individual research projects, visits by overseas specialists, staff training overseas, seminars, workshops, and joint projects with universities in Mainland China and elsewhere.
In recognition of his service given through this position to the development of advanced education and scientific research in Hong Kong, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa.
