Henry Tizard Scientist
Sir Henry Thomas Tizard FRS (23 August 1885 in Gillingham, Kent – 9 October 1959 in Fareham, Hampshire) was an English chemist and inventor and past Rector of Imperial College. A well-known outcome of his work in chemistry is the modern "octane rating" used to classify petrol.Prior to the start of World War II he took on the role of Chair of the Aeronautical Research Committee, and led the deployment of radar and other scientific advances. With this work under way, he undertook the Tizard Mission to the United States, introducing them to British advances in the cavity magnetron, jet engines and the "tube alloys" project, their early work on the atomic bomb. He was also a critic of the "dehousing" strategy and argued for a much smaller bombing campaign.In the post war era, Tizard remained in the defence establishment, chairing the Defence Research Policy Committee. He was responsible for creating the Flying Saucer Working Party, one of the first serious studies of UFOs. He was also present at early meetings between the UK, Canadian and US representatives discussing brainwashing, which he considered unrealistic and unlikely to be useful, but supported Canadian experiments in sensory deprivation.