William H. Hatfield was born in Sheffield in 1882 and studied metallurgy at University College, Sheffield, under Professor John Arnold, who held the Chair of Metallurgy from 1889 until 1919. In 1902 Hatfield won the Mappin Medal and in 1913 was awarded the degree of Doctor of Metallurgy. Author of numerous technical papers on many branches of metallurgy, in particular rust, cast iron and acid and heat-resistant steels, Hatfield succeeded Harry Brearley Director of the Firth-Brown Research Laboratories in 1916, where he developed several stainless steel compositions, including 18/8 stainless steel, and later joined the Board of Messrs Thomas Firth and John Brown Limited, and was a member of many scientific societies, including being elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1935. Hatfield died in 1943. In 1944 the University of Sheffield established an annual lecture in his honour, hosted by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Hatfield died in 1945.