John Howard Purnell OBE FRSC^[1] (17 August 1925 Rhondda, South Wales — 12 January 1996 Swansea, Wales)^[2] was a Welsh chemist.

He attended Maes y Dderwen County School in Ystradgynlais before attending Pentre Secondary School.^[3]

After graduating with a first class honours in chemistry at University College, Cardiff in 1946 he went on to the University of Wales and received a PhD in 1952.^[3]

Purnell began to work in the field of gas chromatography in this field in 1952 at Cambridge University while working with Professor R. G. W. Norrish.^[3] In 1965 he became Professor of Physical Chemistry at University College, Swansea where he remained until his retirement in 1992.[[:Category:|]]

He was president of the Royal Society of Chemistry between 1994 and 1996.^{[citation needed]}

• 1971 Beilby Medal and Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry^[4]
• 1992 Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 1992 New Year Honours