Mary Archer

Mary Archer
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Name	Mary Archer
Birth name	Mary Doreen Weston
Birth date	22 December 1944
Birth place	Hayes, Bromley, England
Occupation	Chemist, academic, public figure
Spouse	Jeffrey Archer (m. 1966)
Alma mater	St Anne's College, Oxford, Imperial College London
Known for	Solar energy research, public service

Mary Archer. A British scientist and public figure known for her pioneering research in solar photochemistry and a long career in academic and public governance. She has held prominent roles in healthcare, scientific, and cultural institutions, maintaining a distinct profile alongside her marriage to the novelist and former politician Jeffrey Archer. Her work has been recognized with several honorary degrees and a damehood for services to the National Health Service.

Early life and education

Born Mary Doreen Weston in Hayes, Bromley, she was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College, a leading independent school. She read chemistry at St Anne's College, Oxford, graduating with a first-class degree. She then pursued doctoral research at Imperial College London, completing her PhD in 1968 under the supervision of noted chemist George Porter, a future Nobel laureate. Her early academic work established a foundation in photochemistry, the study of chemical reactions initiated by light.

Scientific career

Archer built a significant career as a physical chemist specializing in solar energy conversion. She was a research fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge and later a university lecturer at Cambridge University. Her work focused on photoelectrochemistry, particularly the use of semiconductor materials to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight, a key process for renewable fuel production. She served as Chairman of the National Energy Foundation and was a founding member of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division. She has authored numerous scientific papers and co-edited the textbook Photochemical and Photoelectrochemical Approaches to Solar Energy Conversion.

Public roles and philanthropy

Archer has held an extensive portfolio of chairmanships and trusteeships across the public sector. She served as Chairman of the Science Museum Group and was a trustee of the National Museums of Science and Industry. In healthcare, her most prominent role was as Chairman of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, overseeing Addenbrooke's Hospital. She has also been a governor of the Wellcome Trust, a director of Lloyd's of London, and a member of the Council of the University of Cambridge. Her philanthropic interests extend to the arts, having served on the board of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Personal life

She married Jeffrey Archer in 1966 at Queen's College, Oxford; the couple has two sons. Throughout her husband's highly publicized political career and legal controversies, including his imprisonment for perjury, she maintained her independent professional life. She is known for her steadfast support during his trials, notably giving evidence in his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star. The family has residences in Grantchester and London.

Honours and recognition

Archer was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to the National Health Service. She holds honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Bath, University of Leicester, and Anglia Ruskin University. She is an honorary fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford, Newnham College, Cambridge, and Imperial College London. In 2006, she was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Nyholm Prize for her contributions to education.

Category:1944 births Category:British chemists Category:British women scientists Category:Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford Category:Alumni of Imperial College London Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire