Harington, Sir Charles Robert (1897-1972), a British chemist, studied the working of the thyroid gland. He synthesized thyroxin, a substance that increases the body’s metabolic rate, the speed at which cells produce the materials and energy necessary for life.
Harington was born on Aug. 1, 1897, in Llanerfyl, near Llanfyllin, Wales. He received a Ph.D. degree from Edinburgh University in Scotland in 1922. In 1931, he became professor of pathological chemistry at University College of the University of London. In 1942, he became director of the National Institute for Medical Research. Harington was knighted in 1948. He died on Feb. 4, 1972.
