Dr John Graham Tillett

Dr. Tillett was born in Edmonton, North London, and attended Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. He spent his undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral years in the Chemistry Departments of UCL and Bedford College becoming one of the founding lecturers at Essex University when it opened in 1964.

He became a Reader in Chemistry, Head of Department, and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He also lectured at the US Universities of California and Vermont and was a visiting professor at the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

Dr. Tillett published around 75 research papers, reviews and book chapters. His prominence was in the realm of physical organic chemistry, particularly in the study of the mechanisms of reactions at the sulphinyl centre of organic sulphinyl derivatives, such as (cyclic and/or acyclic) sulphites and sulphinamides. 

He published many original research papers here (many of them in Royal Society of Chemistry journals), as well as many book chapters and reviews - including a foundational piece in Chemical Reviews of the American Chemical Society. His work largely involved rationalization of the kinetics and thermodynamics involved in the reactivities of sulphinyl centres toward acids, bases, or nucleophiles in solution. Dr. Tillett was active in other areas too, such as the acid-catalyzed ring opening reactions of various nitrogenous mesoionic heterocycles. 

He was a much-respected lecturer at undergraduate, postgraduate and seminar/conference levels, having the rare ability to give clear, simple explanations, but at the same time including all relevant detail.

(Contribution from research colleague, Prof. Alan J. Buglass, PhD, CChem, FRSC, retired, previously of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). 

Dr. Tillett was passionate about education. As Director of Continuing Education at Essex University, he developed a wide variety of adult learning opportunities and was later promoted to Pro-Vice Chancellor (Services). He finally retired in 2000 but continued with his own academic research. He served as a governor at Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS) from 1980-2022, acting as Chair from 1998 – 2016.

He particularly enjoyed interacting with the students, giving interview practice to university applicants. Under his stewardship, CRGS became one of the nation’s leading grammar schools (contributed by Ken Jenkinson, retired, previously CRGS Head 2000-2015).

Dr. Tillett was awarded an MBE for services to education in 2010.

Finally, for all his accomplishments, Dr. Tillett remained a wonderful father to his ‘girls’, Susan, Angela and Jane, and a doting grandfather and great grandfather.