Nathaniel Hew Grace

Nathaniel Hew Grace

Nathaniel Hew Grace, chemist (b at Allahabad, India 10 Nov 1902; d at Rochester, Alta 13 Nov 1961). The son of a missionary, Grace attended schools in California and Saskatchewan. He graduated from U of Sask (1925) and completed his PhD in physical chemistry at McGill (1931). He spent the next 20 years with the NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL in Ottawa, where his diverse contributions included pioneering work on plant growth regulators. He was appointed an MBE in 1946 for research related to wartime shortages of raw materials. In 1951 Grace joined the ALBERTA RESEARCH COUNCIL as its first full-time director of research. Under his guidance, the council initiated important new areas of activity, notably groundwater and hailstorm research. Grace's dedication to research of social significance and high scientific quality laid the foundation for the research council's important role in the development of Alberta.