Dr Mike Sutton

DPhil, PG Diploma, BA
Visiting Fellow

Biography

Mike was born in London. He read chemistry at Oriel College, Oxford 1960-64 and worked as Research Assistant at the British Museum in London from 1964-5. He then moved on as part-time lecturer at Oxford College of Further Education while pursuing post-graduate studies in History and Philosophy of Science at Oxford University. He then worked as Lecturer (later Senior Lecturer) at Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic (later Northumbria University) between 1970 and 2004. He was course leader for Northumbria’s MA History of Ideas, 1979-1992, and served as examiner at Preston Polytechnic (1983-87), Kingston University (1989-94), Huddersfield University (1990-94), Middlesex University (1997-2003). He has been Visiting Fellow, IT Consultant (and occasional Lecturer) at Northumbria since retiring in 2004.

Married with two children (one grandchild, so far), Mike has been involved, since 1960, in the study and performance of traditional music, song and dance of the British Isles and North America 

Qualifications

D Phil Oxford (History of Science), Oxford 1972
PG Diploma in History and Philosophy of Science, Oxford 1968
BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences (Chemistry), Oxford 1964    

Research Interests 

Mike's research interests are in the history of chemistry and its social, economic and cultural impact; the history of ideas; and the history of folk music, dance and song.

Research Students

Susan Miller PhD (Northumbria) and N Joslin (PhD Northumbria)
Judith Murphy: awarded PhD (Northumbria) 2006
Reginald Brown: awarded PhD (Northumbria) 2003
Susan Rutherford: awarded PhD (Northumbria) 2000 

Affiliations and Memberships

Member of British Society for the History of Science
Member of Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry (Hon Editor of Ambix, the Society’s Journal, 1982-91)
Member of English Folk Dance and Song Society
Member of Traditional Song Forum
Member of Hexham Morrismen
Member of folk-dance teams representing the UK at the following events:
UNESCO International Folkloriada, Tokyo 2000
CIOFF International Folk Dance Festival, Varna (Bulgaria) 2002
Summerfest, Budapest 2004
International Folklore Festival of The Azores, 2007  

Publications

Chapters and Articles:
'Wealth From Greenland, Honour From London', Chemistry World, 2009.

'A Clash of Symbols – J J Berzelius and the Representation of the Chemical Elements', 2008.

'A Forgotten Triumph', Chemistry World, 2008.

'Chemists Without Borders', Chemistry World, 2008.

'Chemistry for the Common Good', Chemistry World, 2007.

'Transmutations and Isotopes -the Remarkable Career of Frederick Soddy', Chemistry World, 2006.

Seven entries for The Dictionary of Nineteenth Century Scientists (Thoemmes Press, 2004).

Four entries for the New Dictionary of National Biography  (OUP, 2004).

'Getting the Numbers Right - the Lonely Struggle of Janne Rydberg', Chemistry World 2004.

'Chaim Weizmann: Moulder of Molecules – Maker of a Nation', Chemistry in Britain, 2003.

'The Father of Physical Chemistry: Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932)', Chemistry in Britain, 2003.

'From Log Cabin to High Society: The Chemical Odyssey of Henry Wellcome', Chemistry in Britain, 2003.

Six entries in Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (Macmillan, 2001).

'One Cool Chemist: François-Marie Raoult', Chemistry in Britain, 2001.

'Uncertain to the Last: the Mysterious World of Werner Heisenberg', Chemistry in Britain, 2001.

'Le Chatelier: Man of Principle', Chemistry in Britain, 2000.

'The Birth of the Greens? - Henry Mayhew and the Sewers of London', Notebooks (Middlesex University, 1997).

'Linking the Bands to the Bonds" – a chapter in John H Wotiz (eds), The Kekulé Riddle: A Challenge for Chemists and Psychologists (Cache River Press, Vienna Illinois, 1992).

'The Early History of Spectroscopy: Platinum plays a Part', Platinum Metals Review, 1988.

'Spectroscopy, History and Myth: the Victorians Vindicated', History of Science, 1986.

Seven entries in Dictionary of the History of Science (Macmillan, 1981).

'Spectroscopy and the Chemists, a Neglected Opportunity?', Ambix, 1976.

'Sir John Herschel and the Development of Spectroscopy in Britain', British Journal for the History of Science, 1974.

'J F Daniell and the Boscovichean Atom', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 1971.  

Folklore Studies:

'Skiffle - Past, Present … and Future?', The Living Tradition  2007.

'Do We Still Need That F-Word?', The Living Tradition  2006.

'Cowboys and Weathermen”, The Living Tradition  2005.

'England, Whose England? - Class, Gender and National Identity in the Early 20th Century Folklore Revival', Musical Traditions, 2000.