Appleton, Sir Edward Victor, 1892-1965 (physicist and principal of the University of Edinburgh)
Dates
- Existence: 1892 - 1965
Biography
Appleton was born in Bradford and educated at local schools and St John's College, Cambridge where he was awarded first class honours and several prizes in both parts of the Natural Sciences Tripos (1913, 1914). He began research at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge with W.L. Bragg, but during his service in the Army Signals in the First World War he developed the interest in valves and 'wireless' signals which informed his subsequent research career. He returned to the Cavendish Laboratory in 1919, continuing to work on valves and, with B. van der Pol, on non-linearity, and on atmospherics. In 1924, in collaboration with M.F. Barnett, he performed a crucial experiment which enabled a reflecting layer in the atmosphere to be identified and measured; subsequent research indicated the existence of more than one reflecting layer. From 1924 to 1936 Appleton was Wheatstone Professor of Physics at King's College, London, directing research teams and, in 1932, heading an expedition to Tromsö in northern Norway as part of the programme of observations scheduled for the Second International Polar Year
He was President of the International Union of Scientific Radio (URSI), 1934-1952. In 1936 he succeeded C.T.R. Wilson in the Jacksonian Chair of Natural Philosophy at Cambridge, where he continued collaborative research on many ionospheric problems, including solar and lunar tides in the E-layer. From September 1936 he served on the re-constituted Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Defence (the 'Tizard Committee'), and in October 1938 was appointed successor to Sir Frank Smith as Secretary to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). He remained at the DSIR throughout the Second World War and until 1948 when he was appointed Principal of Edinburgh University. He took up the appointment in May 1949 and remained in office until his death in 1965. Appleton was elected FRS in 1927 (Bakerian Lecture 1937, Hughes Medal 1933, Royal Medal 1950) and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1947 for his investigations into the ionosphere. He was knighted in 1941.
Found in 14 Collections and/or Records:
3 small envelopes containing observations and photographs, c. 1929-1935
3 small envelopes containing observations and photographs. The material consists of envelope addressed ‘Proffessor Appleton Grand Hotel', containing photographs of aurora, etc.; envelope, mainly containing observations made at King's College, London, 1929 (many identified on verso); and envelope of photographs of scenery (one with a manuscript note by R. Naismith).
Copy of Journal of the Institution of Telecommunication Engineers, 12, April 1966
Copy of Journal of the Institution of Telecommunication Engineers, 12, April 1966. This was a 'Sir Edward V. Appleton commemorative issue' and contains several articles referring to his work, including ‘A Wireless Visit to Tromsö (1932)' by C.M. Minnis, which quotes from Appleton's journals.
Correspondence and data from R. Naismith to Edward Appleton, 1934
Correspondence and data from R. Naismith to Edward Appleton, dated 1934.
Correspondence and papers regarding U.R.S.I. [Union Radio-Scientifique International] programme, 1934-1935
Correspondence from J.M. Stagg to Edward Appleton, 1935
Correspondence from J.M. Stagg to Edward Appleton, dated 1935. The material includes a draft of a paper by Stagg on magnetic disturbance.
Correspondence from K. Kreielsheimer and K.W. Wagner to Edward Appleton, 1933-1934
Correspondence from K. Kreielsheimer and K.W. Wagner to Edward Appleton. The material consists of correspondence from K. Kreielsheimer (Tromsö observatory), including photographs, data and draft report, dated 1933-1934; and correspondence from K.W. Wagner, dated 1933.
Correspondence from L. Harang to Edward Appleton, 1935-1938
Correspondence from L. Harang to Edward Appleton, dated 1935-1938. The material relates to the research at Tromsö, including data, photographs and a reprint.
Edward Appleton's own notes for papers, 'Notes regarding the Tromsö results' and correspondence from A.C. Stickland and L.J. Ingram to Appleton, 1933
The material consists of Edward Appleton's own notes for papers, 2 pages of 'Notes regarding the Tromsö results', not by Appleton and correspondence from A.C. Stickland and L.J. Ingram to Appleton. All dated 1933.
Hardback notebook, with two photographs inserted on loose pages at rear of book, 1932
Hardback notebook, with two photographs inserted on loose pages at rear of book. The book contains Edward Appleton's account, headed 'A Wireless Visit to Tromsö', beginning 24 July 1932 (a week after landing at Tromsö) and continuing to 24 August. There is a separate entry in the middle of the book, headed 'Abnormal E region' (2 pages).
Original folder labelled ‘Tromsö Interim Report', 1935
Original folder labelled ‘Tromsö Interim Report'. The material consists of Edward Appleton's own notes and drafts; and ‘Magnetic Section’, drafts so titled by L. J. Ingram and by R. Naismith. All dated 1935.
Additional filters:
- Subject
- Physics 13
- Biography 1
- Correspondence 1
- Magnetism 1