A Part of Our History

Paul Jose de Mayo

Dr. Paul Jose de Mayo

by Rebecca St. Pierre

“One day,…a small six-year old espied what was revealed as a six-penny chemistry set in the window of a toy shop…”
from “Memoirs of a Dilettante” by Paul De Mayo.

So began the illustrious career of Dr. Paul de Mayo, Professor Emeritus of the Chemistry Department at Western, who in his own words, “was hooked.”

Born in London England, de Mayo received his B.Sc. in 1944 from University College of the Southwest of England in Exeter. It was during his employment at the first of two industrial laboratories, that he met a laboratory assistant, Mary Yvonne Turnbull. They would marry in 1949 and have two children; Ann Gabrielle and Philip.

Dr. de Mayo completed both a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of London, Birkbeck College, in 1952 and 1954 respectively. (His Ph.D. supervisor, D.H.R. Barton, would receive a Nobel Prize in 1969, an indication of the caliber of mentorship de Mayo was exposed to early in his career.)

Accepting a lectureship, de Mayo moved with Barton to the University of Glasgow in 1955. The introduction of photochemistry in his research at this time would prove to be a pivotal point in his career. In 1957 de Mayo then moved with Barton again to Imperial College. From 1958 to 1959, de Mayo conducted his postdoctoral studies at Harvard under the organic chemist and later Nobel Laureate, R.B. Woodward. While at Harvard, de Mayo accepted a position at Western from Fred Pattison, the incoming Head of the Chemistry Department.

de Mayo recalls in his Memoirs of a Dilettante, “during the first ten years at Western I indulged my affection …for structural work,” specifically organic natural products derived from plant sources. It was organic photochemistry though that dominated most of de Mayo’s research at Western. His extensive contribution to photochemistry in the 60’s and 70’s resulted in the de Mayo Reaction; a form of photochemical enone cycloaddition named in his honour. The original de Mayo Reaction

“At about this time, Howard Clark, our Leader, …had the idea that if photochemistry were a Good Thing, it might even be a Very Good Thing, and so suitable for an award from the N.R.C.”, noted de Mayo. Due to the combined effort of him and the new Chemistry Department Head Howard Clark, a grant of approximately one million dollars was awarded to the Chemistry Department in 1969. Additional faculty members were appointed, and The Photochemistry Unit was soon established. It would become the strongest of its kind in Canada. The Unit’s success led to the creation of Photochemical Research Associates (PRA) in 1972, a university business enterprise with de Mayo as its first director. Four years later Western withdrew from commercial enterprise and PRA become part of the public sector.

de Mayo's subsequent research included biphasic photochemistry specifically in micelles, photochemistry on surfaces, and flash thermolysis of which he wrote; “The writer has no rational reason for entering this field and less for leaving it. It just happened-catalyzed by some work at Union Carbide…” Semiconductors were also explored within his final years of research, an area that shows promise in water and air purification. de Mayo pondered, “Shall photochemistry redeem the sins of the chemists?...” Although de Mayo’s health declined over the years, his scientific passion did not. After his retirement in 1990, he became interested in history, specifically when alchemy evolved into chemistry.

de Mayo taught a graduate course in organic photochemistry and a fourth year Honours organic chemistry course. In 1973, “The Evolution of Chemical Thought,” a novel course examining the historical evolution of chemical concepts, was conceived by de Mayo and a postdoctoral fellow Mel Usselman. His initiation of Problem Seminars, a vital teaching contribution to the department, encouraged critical thinking in organic chemistry graduate students. During his time at Western, he mentored a total of 44 graduate students and 78 postdoctoral fellows.

FerdinandPaul de Mayo, or PdeM as he came to be known, had a personality as renowned as his research. Although he never pursued the position of chair or dean, he was not reluctant to voice his opinion. Always approachable, he set extremely high standards both for himself and his students. Remembered for his unique sense of humour, his alter ego Ferdinand, a stick figure, would regularly appear in the margins of papers and examinations. Ferdinand would often offer advice and comments on his behalf, and in his later years reflected PdeM’s physical state by being drawn with a cane.

His awards were many; the Chemical Institute of Canada Merck, Sharp and Dohme Lecture Award (1966), the Chemical Institute of Canada Medal (1982), the E.W.R. Steacie Award in Photochemistry (1985), the E.W.R. Steacie Award in Chemistry (1992), and the Centennial Medal in 1967 by the Government of Canada. De Mayo’s personal milestones were also acknowledged by his peers. The Canadian Journal of Chemistry, dedicated the October 1984 issue was to his 60th birthday. In addition, The Great Lakes Symposium on Photochemistry held at Western in 1990, and part of Volume 57 (1991) of the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, were dedicated to Dr. de Mayo at his retirement.

He edited both volumes of Molecular Rearrangements (1964) and all three volumes of Rearrangements of Ground and Excited States (1980), he also published more than 250 papers. Therefore, it is not surprising he was elected to Fellowship of both The Royal Society of Canada (1971) and the Royal Society (London; 1975).

After his death in 1994, The Paul de Mayo Award Lectureship was established from contributions received from international colleagues and collaborators. Each year an exceptional graduate student from Chemistry is awarded a medal and invited to return to Western to present their current research. A Forrest’s Pink Magnolia, noted by his wife as a favourite of his, was planted outside of the Chemistry building to commemorate this truly remarkable scientist in Western’s history.De Mayo plaque