University Colleges of Wales Bangor

Of all the women chemists, Phyllis Violet McKie24 of the University College of Wales, Bangor, one of Orton s protegees, seems to have been the most productive during the war period. McKie was part of the team at Bangor producing paraldehyde.25 In addition, she devised a new method for the preparation of the explosive tetranitromethane for the Ministry of Munitions, and she studied methods of preparation of saccharin and vanillin for war purposes.26 Orton reported back to the War Committee ... 

McKie was on bom 18 July 1893, the daughter of William McKie, Clerk at the Pemyhyn Quarry Office. She was educated at the County School for Girls, Bangor, and entered the University College of Wales, Bangor, in 1912. McKie completed her B.Sc. in 1916, and was awarded an M.Sc. by research on the basis of her war work. A total of 12 publications resulted from the different directions of war research which she initiated at Bangor. 

Orton, K. J. P. (1918). Annual Reports of the Heads of Department, 1917-1918. University College of Wales, Bangor, pp. 8-9 T. Roberts, Archivist, University of Wales, Bangor, is thanked for supplying this information. 

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