Sir Nevill Mott opened the Cavendish School’s new buildings in 1962 as the plaque in the dining hall records and he has always taken a keen interest in the School.

Nevill Mott was the son of a famous educationalist, CF Mott, who was Director of Education for Liverpool and this may be one reason why he has always been concerned with science education in schools.

He became Cavendish Professor in 1954 after the retirement of Bragg and the importance of his scientific research into the theory of quantum mechanics led to the award of the Nobel Prize in 1977. He retired from Cambridge in 1971 but continued to visit the Laboratory and pursue his research.

Since his retirement there have been two more Cavendish Professors, Sir Brian Pippard (1971 – 82) and Sir Sam Edwards who is the present head of the Cavendish Laboratory.