In 1878 he entered the Central Foundation School, in London, where his ability to learn rapidly gave him leisure at the age of twelve to carry out simple chemical experiments in his bedroom.

Pope studied crystallography under H. A. Miers, and most of his earlier research focussed on measuring crystallographic data with a goniometer.

These studies had an important influence on the development of his chemical work, for they enhanced the natural faculty of visualising spatial relationships.

This drew him into the field of stereochemistry where his most notable achievements were to resolve a series of asymmetric, optically active compounds of nitrogen, sulfur, tin and selenium.

[3] During the First World War, Pope served on the Board of Invention and Research for the Admiralty and on the Chemical Warfare Committee at the Ministry of Munitions, where one of his contributions was a modified method for preparing mustard gas.