The Life of Professor Robert Hugh Pritchard

Colleagues and former students of the late Professor Pritchard (aka Bob), an eminent UK geneticist, have gathered memories about his scientific and personal life. Bob's early, crucial contributions to decipher gene structure and mechanism of recombination in fungi, and those in bacterial physiology and the cell cycle, are briefly summarized. Bob was appointed as a young professor (34 years old) to open a new Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester, a department that thrived under his leadership to become internationally recognized for the quality of its scientific research and teaching. Pritchard's research studies on Microbial Genetics and Physiology and his intellectual leadership were pioneering and instrumental in the development of Molecular Biology and Bacterial Cell Biology.
Recollections from the contributors about their interactions with Bob will be enjoyed by anyone interested in the history of Genetics in the UK, during the 1960s and 1970s. To future generations of investigators, they provide insights into how unbiased honesty, humbleness, incisiveness, generosity and friendship are cornerstones for the advancement of human knowledge.
The book has been compiled from articles by 26 colleagues, former students and friends of Bob Pritchard, and of his surviving daughter, each from his/her personal viewpoint. They include 17 Professors, 2 Readers, 4 Doctors (all PhD's), 2 politicians and an Attorney, and are citizens of 6 countries (UK-14, USA-5, FR-3, ES-2, IL-1, AU-1). Each chapter has been written independently of the others hence marked differences in length (between 1–10 pp) and style. The 44 photographs were gathered from their personal collections.

Contents:Preface, including Picture of Genetics Department staff, 1971List of RH Pritchard's Scientific PublicationsAn Overview (Arieh Zaritsky and Peter A Meacock)Bob Pritchard: Eminent Scientist and Remarkable Individual (Peter A Meacock)How It All Began: The Genesis of Genetics at Leicester (Sir Hans L Kornberg FRS)Early Years of the Genetics Department, University of Leicester (Susan E Wilkins (Hollom))Bob Pritchard and the Control of DNA Replication in Bacteria (Peter T Barth)Exciting Times in Leicester with Bob (Building the Commune) (Barry Holland)Memories of the Genetics Department at Leicester (William (Bill) Grant)Skating on Not-So-Thin Ice in Kansas (Karl G Lark)Reflections — Bob Pritchard (Abraham Eisenstark)Remembering Bob at the Hammersmith and Leicester in the 1960's (Marilyn Monk)The Real Geneticist, Already at Bill Hayes' MRC Unit (Simon Silver)Me and My Beloved Professor, Dr R H Pritchard (Shamim I Ahmad)Professor Robert (Bob) Pritchard (1930–2015): In Memoriam (Ifor R Beacham)Personal Recollections of an Exciting Scientific Period (1969–1971 and Beyond): A Tribute to Bob (Arieh Zaritsky)The Outsider (William (Willie) D Donachie FRSE)Appendix: Interactions with Outsiders and Insiders — Justice to Priority Truth (Arieh Zaritsky)Bacterial and Plasmid Replication: Some Memories of the Early Days (Millicent (Millie) Masters)My Pritchard Years: From Replication to Pinball and Back Again (Michael (Mick) Chandler)My Time in Bob's Lab (1975–1978) (Ramón Díaz Orejas)Bob Pritchard, Beach Bum (1980/1) (Douglas W Smith)Bob Pritchard: Mentor, Teacher and Friend (Alfonso Jiménez-Sánchez)Bob's Open House (Michael J Pocklington)My Recollections of Bob Pritchard, 1986–1996 (Vic Norris)Bob Pritchard and the Rookie Geneticist (Sir Alec J Jeffreys FRS)The Last Thirty Years: Bob Pritchard's Legacy to Genetics and Society (Peter A Meacock and Annette Cashmore)Bob Pritchard — His Passion for Politics (Arnie Gibbons and Iain Sharpe)Robert Hugh Pritchard: “Bob” to Many — “Dad” to Me (Naomi Matthews (Pritchard))Concluding Remarks (Arieh Zaritsky)
Readership: Students and scientists in genetics and microbiology, science educators, interested by readers.
Key Features:This is a unique book that will appeal to the many world-wide friends and colleagues who knew Bob Pritchard and to students of the development of modern molecular genetics. Readers without specialist knowledge will enjoy reading this book for the insights it gives into the lives of scientists and the nature of scientific research. Specialists will find that some interesting controversies and problems are dealt withAcademic Institutes, particularly departments of Genetics and Microbiology are likely to use this book for learning history of these sciencesScience educators will exploit this book to instruct and lead the students how to advance Science in an honest mannerParticipants and others in the field, who are mentioned or shown in photographs will acquire the book to their personal libraries