Woolfson crystallography

Michael Woolfson contributed enormously to the theory and practice of X-ray crystallography for almost 60 years

He extended the theory of ‘direct methods’, which provided a general solution of the crystallographic phase problem from the measured diffraction data alone, and provided tools to exploit this theory

In April 1993 the ‘Woolfson Report’, as it became known, was published

The report recognised the quality, volume and diversity of science being carried out at synchrotron radiation facilities and put forward a number of recommendations for continued support

He was chairman of the Education Committee for a time, which provided lectures for local schoolchildren and prizes for school project competitions, then was president from 1985 until 1999

His last lecture to the Society, ‘On the origin of planets’, was in 2009

Professor Michael Woolfson leading a procession to the Minster, 1981