Royal Institution for its founding were given by the Society for Bettering the Conditions and Improving the Comforts of the Poor, under the guidance of philanthropist Sir Thomas Bernard and American-born British scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. Since its founding it has been based at 21 Albemarle Street in Mayfair. Its Royal Charter was granted in 1800. Throughout its history, the Institution has supported public engagement with science through a programme of lectures, many of which continue today. The most famous of these are the annual Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, founded by Michael Faraday. The Royal Institution was founded as the
John Davidson (chemical engineer) 1999 for his chemical engineering work, and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1974. He was president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) from 1970 to 1971. Vice-president of the Royal Society in 1989. He was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. a John Davidson (chemical engineer) John Frank Davidson FRS FREng FIChemE (born 7 February 1926) is a British chemical engineer and former Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge. He is regarded as the founding father of the Fluidization in Chemical Engineering. John Frank Davidson was born in