We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Professor James (“Jim”) Emsley, a distinguished member of the magnetic resonance community and a world authority on NMR of liquid crystals. He passed away last week at the age of 91.
Below we share a message prepared by colleagues at the University of Southampton describing Jim’s life and contributions to the field.
On behalf of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance, we extend our sincere condolences to Jim’s family, friends, and colleagues.
Jerry C. C. Chan
Secretary General
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Last week we received the sad news that Jim Emsley has passed away. He was 91 years old and a world authority on the NMR of liquid crystals. Jim grew up in Leeds. His early academic career was at the UK Universities of Leeds, Liverpool and Durham. He joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Southampton in 1967, and initiated an important and fruitful research collaboration with another “new boy” at the time, Geoffrey Luckhurst. During the following decades, Jim and Geoffrey established the University of Southampton as a leading centre for research in NMR, especially as applied to the study of liquid crystals. He had a wide range of productive collaborations, including many Italian NMR groups, such as those led by Claudio Zannoni, Carlo Veracini (Veracio), and Marcello Longeri. Together with Jim Feeney and Les Sutcliffe, Jim authored the seminal NMR textbook "High resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy”, which was first published in 1967, and served as an essential fixture on the bookshelves of NMR scientists for many decades. One of Jim’s great contributions to the NMR community was his founding of the review journal Progress in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in 1965. He edited the journal with renowned dedication and attention to detail for the next 50 years, and the journal continues to carry forward his legacy, not least in the form of Jim's last published article (at the age of 91), an authoritative review of molecular structure and ordering in liquid crystal phases (see doi.org/10.1016/j.pnmrs.2025.101576). Throughout the years, Jim remained a familiar and inspiring presence, sharing his office with PhD and postgraduate students alike - always ready to offer his deep knowledge over cups of tea or in lively discussions at his desk. Many fondly recall his profound insights, which shaped their scientific careers and left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of learning from him. Jim is greatly missed by his son Lyndon and his daughter Julia, his colleagues in Southampton, his colleagues and friends in the NMR community, and many others besides.
from Christian Bengs, Marina Carravetta, Maria Concistré, Malcolm Levitt, and Giuseppe Pileio, of the University of Southampton, UK
Malcolm Levitt
School of Chemistry
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