Born in Cular, Saskatchewan, in 1910, Lloyd Douglas Hayward attended the University of Saskatchewan, where he earned his BA in Honours Chemistry in 1943. In 1949 he earned a Ph.D. from McGill University. Hayward joined the University of British Columbia Dept. of Chemistry as an assistant professor in 1951. He remained until his retirement in 1984. In 1956 Hayward married Margaret Sage, (1919-) Social Worker and SFU Assistant Professor in Psychology. Hayward devoted much of his time to popularizing chemistry after retiring from UBC, particularly among school children. Hayward began giving chemistry lectures/demonstrations as part of a Do-It-Yourself Chemistry (DIYC) program in elementary schools in April 1986. After visiting several more schools, a story about Hayward and his school presentations appeared in the Richmond Review. Shortly after that, he began writing a regular science column for the newspaper. Hayward continued visiting elementary schools around the Lower Mainland and throughout the province. He gave free lecture demonstrations as part of the DIYC program. The program was sponsored by the Vancouver Section of the Chemical Institute of Canada. The underlying philosophy of DIYC was quite simple. The experiments were to be done safely by an 11-year-old in the modern kitchen. Hayward wanted to "avoid stinks, bangs, magic and politics." The primary goal, according to Hayward, was to "show students, teachers, and parents that chemistry is fun, interesting and safe. Without knowledge of chemistry, no other science or technology can advance. It is essential for our future."
In 1988, in conjunction with Gordon Bates from UBC's Department of Chemistry, Hayward developed a 30-minute videotape and manual intended to allow Do-It-Yourself Chemistry to reach more schools and help to involve chemical professionals from across Canada in similar programs. Subsequent demand for an expanded and enhanced manual resulted in a second publication in 1990. The experiments included in that booklet came from Hayward's columns that originally appeared in the Richmond Review, the Vernon Daily News and the Alaska Highway News. Hayward and Bates continued their collaboration with the publication of Its Elementary: Investigating the Chemical World (1994). In addition to his in-class lectures-demonstrations, columns and publications, Hayward also had a bi-weekly radio program on CFMI in Vancouver. By 1997 DIYC presentations had involved approximately 18,000 students in grades 4-7 in BC schools. An additional 25 workshops for teachers and parents were also staged. In addition, Hayward served as chairman of the Vancouver and Lower Mainland Regional Science Fairs and on the steering committee for Science Olympics for British Columbia. In recognition of his efforts in popularizing chemistry among youngsters, Hayward received the Eve Savory Award for science communication in 1991. The following year, he received the UBC Alumni Associations Faculty Citation Award, which is given to faculty members who have given outstanding service to the general community.