Collection KDCH - CHEMISTRY: King's College London departmental records

Chemistry was first taught by Professor John Frederick Daniell in the Senior Department and the Medical Department of King's from the opening of the College in 1831. The first Chemical Laboratory was founded a few years later in 1834. Daniell remained at King's until 1845 and in 1846 the Daniell Scholarship was founded in his honour. The subject has always encompassed many departments. When the Senior Department was split into two separate sections; Civil Engineering and Mining in 1838 and General Literature and Science in 1840, Chemistry was taught under both. These sections became the Department of General Literature and Science and the Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 1847-1848. Chemistry was also taught in Evening Classes, which were begun in 1848. In 1888 the Department of Science was formed from General Literature and Science. This became the Faculty of Science in 1893. That same year the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences was created as part of the Faculty of Science. A separate Faculty of Engineering was later formed in 1902-1903. In 1905 the Faculty of Science was split into the Natural Science and Medical Science Divisions with Chemistry taught under both divisions. These divisions became the Faculties of Medical Science and Natural Science in 1921 and 1923 respectively. From 1961 the Chemistry Department came solely under the Faculty of Natural Science, although the subject continued to make up components of other courses. In 1985 after the merger of King's with Queen Elizabeth and Chelsea Colleges, the department became part of the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, currently the School of Physical Sciences and Engineering.