Harry Lister Riley

Harry Lister Riley (1899–1986) B.Sc., ARCS, DIC DS was a British chemist based in London and Newcastle, where he undertook research into coke and coal.

His 1932 work on selenium dioxide as a post-doctoral student at Imperial College earned him attention, as well as the naming of Riley oxidation.

[6] Before taking up his scholarship, he joined the British Army and Served as a corporal with the 9th King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (K.O.Y.L.I., 1917-1919)[6] in France during the Great War, seeing action in the trenches of the Somme in 1918.

In 1921 Imperial College awarded him a Sir Otto Beit Scientific Research Fellowship[4] for a thesis entitled “Studies in Complex Salts and other papers”.

[3] In 1932, Riley had a chair appointment as the Professor of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, as well as the position Honorary Director and Secretary of the Northern Coke (later Carbon) Research Committee, where he served until 1947.