Derek Bryce-Smith[1] (1926–2011) was a chemist at the University of Reading. His work included organometallic chemistry, radical chemistry and photochemistry. He was among the first to describe the dangers of tetraethyl lead, which was used for several decades as an anti-knock additive in petrol. Initially, his concerns were dismissed both by his fellow academics and by industrial interests.[2] However, by the time of his death, only six countries had not outlawed leaded petrol,[3] and the Royal Society of Chemistry gave him a silver medal in 1984 for his work in this area.[4]