Lord Dainton of Hallam Moors was a scientist, university academic and administrator, and chairman of national committees on science, higher education and libraries. He was Chancellor of the University of Sheffield from 1978 until his death in 1997.

During his long and active career he published around 300 scientific papers, and received 26 honorary degrees from higher education institutions in the United Kingdom and abroad, together with many other honours. He was still working up to the time of his death in December 1997, when he had almost completed his autobiography, published under the title `Doubts and Certainties: a Personal Memoir of the 20th Century´, by Sheffield Academic Press in 2001. The work was completed by his wife Barbara with editorial assistance by staff at the University of Sheffield.