Person
Buckingham, Amyand David (David) (1930 - 2021)
FAA FRS CBE
- Born
- 28 January 1930
Pymble, New South Wales, Australia - Died
- 4 February 2021
Cambridge, United Kingdom - Occupation
- Chemical physicist, Theoretical physicist and University Administrator
Summary
David Buckingham was a physicist who made fundamental theoretical and experimental contributions to the understanding of optical, electric and magnetic properties of molecules. In his research he explored the basics of intermolecular forces (with relevance to aspects of molecular biology and genomics) and nonlinear optics (intrinsic to laser-based technology and telecommunications). His interests were wide-ranging and included a direct method of measurement of quadrupole moments of molecules (measured in buckinghams) and the determination of the first accurate values of hyperpolarizability using the Kerr effect. Born in Australia, Buckingham spent most of his career at the University of Cambridge, retiring in 1997 after nearly 30 years as Professor of Chemistry. A Corresponding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, he received a number of awards for his research, including the Harrie Massey Medal and Prize, from the Australian Institute of Physics and the Institute of Physics, and the Royal Society of New South Wales Edgeworth David Medal. Buckingham was a talented cricketer.
Details
Chronology
- 1951
- Education - BSc (hons), University of Sydney
- 1952 - 2021?
- Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1953
- Education - MSc, University of Sydney
- 1955
- Education - PhD, University of Cambridge
- 1955 - 1957
- Award - 1851 Exhibition Senior Student, Physical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford
- 1958
- Award - Rennie Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1958 - 1965
- Career position - Lecturer, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Cambridge
- 1963 - 1966
- Career position - Associate Editor, Journal of chemical physics
- 1965 - 1969
- Career position - Professor of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
- 1968 - 1972
- Career position - Editor, Molecular physics
- 1969 - 1997
- Career position - Professor of Chemistry, University of Cambridge
- 1970
- Award - Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales
- 1973 - 1987
- Career position - Member, Advisory Council, Royal Military College of Science
- 1974 - 1978
- Career position - Member, Council of the Senate, University of Cambridge
- 1975 - 2021
- Award - Fellow, Royal Society, London
- 1978 - 1999
- Career position - Editor, Chemical physics letters
- 1978 - 2021
- Award - Fellow, Optical Society of America
- 1982 - 1984
- Career position - Chairman, Advisory Council, Royal Military College of Science
- 1985
- Education - ScD, University of Cambridge
- 1985 - 1989
- Career position - Chairman of the Board, Faculty of Physics and Chemistry, University of Cambridge
- 1986 - 2021
- Award - Fellow, American Physical Union
- 1987 - 1989
- Career position - President, Faraday Division, Royal Society of Chemistry
- 1990 - 2009
- Life event - President, Cambridge University Cricket Club
- 1992 - 2021
- Award - Foreign Associate, United States National Academy of Science
- 1993
- Award - DSc honoris causa, University of Sydney
- 1995
- Award - Harrie Massey Medal and Prize, Australian Institute of Physics and Institute of Physics, United Kingdom
- 1996
- Award - Elected Foreign Member, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- 1996
- Award - Hughes Medal, Royal Society, London
- 1997
- Life event - Retired
- 1997
- Award - Companion of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 1997 - 2021
- Career position - Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of Cambridge
- 1998
- Award - Faraday Lectureship and Prize, Royal Society of Chemistry
- 1999 - 2001
- Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society, London
- 2001
- Award - C. H. Townes Award, Optical Society of America
- 2006
- Award - Inaugural Ahmed Zewali Prize in Molecular Sciences, American University on Cairo
- 2008 - 2021
- Award - Corresponding Fellow, Australian Academy of Science
Related entries
Published resources
Edited Books
- Clary, D. C., and Orr, B. J. eds, Optical, electric and magnetic properties of molecules - a review of the work of A. D. Buckingham . (Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1997), 352 pp. Details
Journal Articles
- Anon, 'Amyand David Buckingham', Molecular physics, 87 (4) (1996), 711-24, https://doi.org/10.1080/00268979600100491. Details
- Aroney, M. J.; and Buckingham, A. D., 'Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1 April 1905 - 26 August 1986, elected F.R.S. 1959', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 34 (1988), 375-403, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.1988.0014. Details
- Aroney, M. J.; Buckingham, A. D., 'Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1905-1986', Historical Records of Australian Science, 7 (3) (1988), 273-297. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9880730273. Details
- Clary, David C.; and Orr, Brian J., 'Amyand David Buckingham, 28 January 1930 - 4 February 2021', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 72 (2022), 77-99, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2021.0026. Details
- Clary, David C.; and Orr, Brian J., 'Amyand David Buckingham 1930 - 2021', Historical Records of Australian Science, 33 (1) (2022), 28-41. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR21012. Details
Newspaper Articles
- Orr, Brian, 'Scientist had molecular unit named after him: Amyand David Buckingham, 1930 - 2021', Sydney morning herald (2021). Details
Resources
- 'Buckingham, Amyand David (David) (1930 - 2021)', The Academy's Fellows [Fellows elected between 2001 and 2010], Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, 2025, https://www.science.org.au/profile/david-buckingham. https://www.science.org.au/fellowship. Details
Resource Sections
- Aroney, M. J.; and Buckingham, A. D., 'Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1905-1986', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 1988, https://www.science.org.au/fellowship/fellows/biographical-memoirs/raymond-james-wood-le-fevre-1905-1986. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 23 January 2026