# Ralph Batchelor
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{{Short description|British biochemist and businessman (1931–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date= June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date= June 2017}}
{{Infobox person
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| name =
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| image =
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| birth_name = Frank Ralph Batchelor
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1931|11|24}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|03|24|1931|11|24|df=y}}
| death_place = [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth), England
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| other_names = Ralph Batchelor
| education =
| alma_mater = [Peterhouse, Cambridge](/source/Peterhouse%2C_Cambridge)
| years_active =
| employer = [Beecham Pharmaceuticals](/source/Beecham_(pharmaceutical_company))
| occupation =
{{Plainlist|
* Research [biochemist](/source/biochemist)
* [Company director](/source/Company_director)
}}
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| spouse = Doreen Marjorie Simpson
| partner =
| children = Jane Louise
Stephen James
Edward Tobias
| parents =
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| awards = {{Plainlist|
* Addingham Medal
* [Mullard Medal](/source/Mullard_Medal)
}}
}}
'''Frank Ralph Batchelor''' (24 November 1931 – 24 March 2021),[Mr Frank Ralph Batchelor in the England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2024] known as Ralph, was a British [biochemist](/source/biochemist) and businessman.
Batchelor attended [Collyer's School](/source/College_of_Richard_Collyer), [Horsham](/source/Horsham).[{{cite news|title=Finish of the Fifties|newspaper=West Sussex County Times|date=1 January 1960|page=10}}] After studying there for seven years he gained an open scholarship in science to [Peterhouse, Cambridge](/source/Peterhouse%2C_Cambridge), where he took a BA in biochemistry.[{{cite news|title=Old Collyerian has Research Triumph|newspaper=West Sussex County Times|date=13 March 1959|page=8}}]
He obtained a research post at [Beecham Research Laboratories](/source/Beecham_Group), in [Betchworth](/source/Betchworth) in 1956. During his first year with the company, he was sent to work at the {{lang|it|Istituto Superiore di Sanità}} in [Rome](/source/Rome), under Professor Sir [Ernst Chain](/source/Ernst_Chain).[{{cite Q|Q29581637}}]
Along with [Peter Doyle](/source/Peter_Doyle_(chemist)), George Rolinson and John Nayler, he was part of the team at Betchworth that discovered and synthesised new [penicillins](/source/penicillins).[{{cite web|title=National Chemical Landmark unveiled, celebrating a family of new penicillins|url=http://www.rsc.org/news-events/articles/2016/jun/blue-plaque-for-beechams-at-brockham/|publisher=[Royal Society of Chemistry](/source/Royal_Society_of_Chemistry)|accessdate=7 June 2017|language=en|date=15 June 2016}}][{{Cite book| publisher = John Wiley & Sons| isbn = 978-0-471-89979-2| last = Sneader| first = Walter| title = Drug Discovery: A History| year= 2005 |chapter=23: Antibiotic Analogues}}] A [Royal Society of Chemistry blue plaque](/source/List_of_Royal_Society_of_Chemistry_blue_plaques) now marks this discovery.