Anthony Rochford Selvey 2 May 1944 – 8 September 2015

Tony Selvey is a name that may not be known to many readers of Liquid Crystals. For 40 years, he played an increasingly important role in the publishing and printing company, Taylor & Francis. This company was founded in 1798 by Richard Taylor with the production of the Philosophical Magazine and was later joined by William Francis. It was concerned with scientific publishing of both books and journals, providing a prestigious service of high standing to the scientific community both nationally and internationally. Tony was, it is claimed, encouraged by his mother to join the company when he left school at the age of just 15. After a short break in Australia he returned to the company, became the group accountant and then Finance Director. In 1983, he was appointed its Managing Director and retired as the Chief Executive Officer in 2002 leaving Taylor & Francis as one of the major global academic publishing companies.

Just two years after Tony’s appointment as Managing Director the company had agreed to my suggestion that they should publish a major new international journal devoted uniquely to the field of anisotropic liquids, entitled Liquid Crystals. This clearly represented a significant financial commitment by its Board, essential for the success of the journal, especially as there was already a journal, Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, produced by Gordon and Breach Science Publishers. It had been argued that there was a real need for a second journal; Tony and his other Directors were clearly convinced. Given this support, Ed Samulski and I, the Founding Editors, spent much of 1985 planning the new journal, its launch and seeking papers of quality for it.

Gordon and Breach, however, objected to the introduction of the new journal and the way in which it was being promoted. Solicitors representing both sides attempted but without success to resolve their differences. The dispute was then referred to the Supreme Court of the State of New York; this action certainly seemed dramatic especially as I, together with Taylor & Francis, had been named as a defendant. The Board continued to support our establishment of the journal; this allowed us to produce, early in 1986, the first issue and subsequent issues duly followed. The case in the Supreme Court continued to progress, but slowly, and together with one of the directors I travelled to Philadelphia where our depositions were taken. This continuing legal action had, should it have been prolonged and the case gone against us, serious implications for the journal as well as for me. It was not until after my deposition that I realised just how much support Tony had provided and committed. In fact, while I was in America he telephoned my wife to tell her that whatever happened we would not suffer financially or, as he put it, she would not need to sell her jewellery! In the event the claims by Gordon and Breach were dismissed. It is clear to me that with his strong support not only did the journal survive but so did we.

Anthony Selvey died at home from a brain tumour. He is survived by his wife Christine and their two children, Amanda and Mark.