▁ 2 5 ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 9 ) ▁was ▁a ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁South ▁African ▁chem ist . ▁His ▁initial ▁career ▁was ▁in ▁organ ic ▁chem istry ▁but ▁he ▁moved ▁into ▁in organ ic ▁chem istry ▁with ▁particular ▁emphas is ▁on ▁gold . ▁His ▁research ▁interests ▁r anged ▁from ▁fish ▁oil ▁through ▁coal ▁li que f action ▁to ▁X - ray ▁diff raction . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁Rap son ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁seven ▁children ▁raised ▁on ▁a ▁small ▁farm ▁in ▁K ai hu , ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁He ▁attended ▁Mount ▁Albert ▁Gram mar ▁School ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Raw lings ▁Sch olar ▁and ▁later ▁Senior ▁National ▁Sch olar . ▁He ▁then ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁A uck land ▁University ▁College ▁as ▁a ▁Junior ▁University ▁Sch olar , ▁Senior ▁University ▁Sch olar , ▁D uff us ▁L ube cki ▁Sch olar ▁and ▁last ly ▁Sir ▁George ▁Grey ▁Sch olar . ▁He ▁att ained ▁his ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁he ▁became ▁lect urer ▁in ▁chem istry ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁College . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Oxford ▁to ▁study ▁organ ic ▁chem istry ▁with ▁Robert ▁Robinson . ▁He ▁developed ▁the ▁Rap son - Rob inson ▁synth esis , ▁while ▁comple ting ▁his ▁th esis ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 3 . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁appointed ▁lect urer ▁in ▁organ ic ▁chem istry ▁at ▁the ▁University