John Wilfrid Linnett
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John Wilford Linnett (August 3, 1913—November 7, 1975) was Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University from 1973 to 1975. He was for many years a Fellow of the Queen's College, Oxford and a demonstrator in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford.
He was born on August 3, 1913 in Coventry in England and educated at the St Johns College, University of Oxford and was later a Junior Fellow there. He was appointed Professor of Physical Chemistry at Cambridge University in 1965. He was Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, on the Council of the Royal Society, and was President of the Faraday Society. He died of a heart attack in the Athenaeum on 7th November, 1975, only five weeks after ceasing to be Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University.
Throughout his career as a chemist, he was noted for his wide interests, making substantial contributions in theoretical chemistry, mass spectrometry, explosion limits, atom recombination reactions, combustion, and several other areas.
In 1960, Linnett originated a modification to the octet rule, originally proposed by G.N. Lewis, concerning valency electrons. He proposed that the octet should be considered as a double quartet of electrons rather than as four pairs, and in this way he was able to explain the stability of 'odd electron' molecules such as nitric oxide and oxygen. This theory was set out in a book "The Electronic Structure of Molecules: A New Approach", published by Methuen & Co Ltd, London, 1964. His general book "Wave Mechanics and Valency" also published by Methuen & Co Ltd, London, appeared in 1960.
The John Wilfrid Linnett Visiting Professor of Chemistry was established in his memory in 1993 at the University of Cambridge.
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