George William Gray

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George William Gray (born 4 September 1926) is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Hull who was instrumental in developing the long-lasting materials which made liquid crystal displays possible. He created and systematised the liquid crystal materials science, and established a method of practical molecular design.

Born in Scotland, Gray was educated at the University of Glasgow and the University of London. He developed his academic career at the University of Hull from 1946 to 1990, where he remains an Emeritus Professor. In conjunction with the Royal Radar Establishment he was instrumental in developing cyano-biphenyl liquid crystals, which were found to possess stable nematic phases at room temperature. These long-lasting materials made the twisted nematic display (LCD) popular. Gray wrote the first english book covering the subject of liquid crystals, "Molecular Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals", published in 1962.[1]

Gray was recipient of the 1995 Kyoto Prize for Advanced Technology and is a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1983, and in 1987 was awarded the Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society. Gray has been a Director of the International Liquid Crystal Society. Members of the British Liquid Crystal Society honoured his achievements by establishing the George W. Gray Medal for contributions to liquid crystal research and technology.[2]

Hull Trains named their first British Rail Class 222 'Pioneer' high-speed train Professor George Gray in recognition of his achievements in the modern history of Hull.