Wallace Alan Akers
Sir Wallace Alan Akers (c1888-1954)
Chemist and industrialist.
1954 Obituary [1]
WE regret to have to record the death of Sir Wallace Alan Akers, which occurred on Monday last, November 1st, at his home at Yiedyn, Kings Road, Alton, Hants. Sir Wallace, who was sixty-six, was director of atomic energy research in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research from 1941 to 1946.
He was educated at Aldenham School and at Christ Church, Oxford, and began his scientific career in 1911 with Brunner Mond and Co., Ltd., at Winnington.
In 1924, Sir Wallace took up an appointment with the Borneo Company, but he returned to the chemical industry in 1926, when Brunner Mond and Co., Ltd., became part of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. He went to the Billingham works in 1931 and in 1941 he was appointed to the board of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. At the same time his services were lent to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, where he took charge of a special technical committee engaged on atomic energy research.
Sir Wallace relinquished this position in 1946 in order to resume full-time duty with Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. He continued, however, to render many services to the D.S.I.R. and was appointed to its advisory council in 1952. Last year, Sir Wallace served upon the committee which, under the chairmanship of Lord Waverley, was entrusted with the task of formulating the proposals which led to the setting up of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
Sir Wallace was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1952, and he was also a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry. He was created C. B. E. in 1944 and received his knighthood two years later.