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May Sybil Leslie [Burr] Papers

Archive Collection: SC MS Burr Contains records with digital media

Details

Type of record: Archive

Title: May Sybil Leslie [Burr] Papers

Level: Collection

Classmark: SC MS Burr

Creator(s): Burr, May Sybil()

Date(s): 1908-1934

Size and medium: c. 75 items

Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/409250

Biography or history

May Sybil Leslie graduated BSc with first class honours in chemistry at Leeds in 1908. She was awarded a University postgraduate scholarship, was elected to an 1851 Exhibition Scholarship and took her master's degree in 1909. She then went to Paris to undertake research under Mme Curie where she stayed for several years and published some papers in French on radioactive thorium. During the First World War she spent some time in industry as a chemist with Messrs Brotherton at Liverpool. In 1918 she was awarded a DSc by the University of Leeds in recognition of her work on both radioactive substances and technical problems in relation to the large-scale manufacture of explosives. In the session 1918-9 she returned to Leeds as a demonstrator in the Department of Chemistry and became a full lecturer in physical chemistry in 1928. She was especially involved with the chemistry of synthetic dyestuffs. In that session she left the University, having married some years previously Alfred
Hamilton Burr, a graduate in technology (applied chemistry) from Manchester. After his death she returned to the University of Leeds as sub-warden of Weetwood Hall (1935) and research assistant in her old department. She died on 3rd July 1937. Apart from various papers, she published a book on The Alkaline earth metals (1925). She bequeathed books and papers, and a sum of money, to the Brotherton Library.

System of arrangement

The MS 347 and 355 catalogues are based on historic inventories. The arrangement of material does not necessarily represent the original order of the archive and it is considered partly processed by an archivist. When making requests to consult, please be aware that there may be discrepancies between description and physical arrangement. The retrievable unit for this collection is file level.

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This collection is subject to various access conditions. Please see individual catalogue descriptions for further details on access.

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