John Currie Gunn
John Currie Gunn | |
---|---|
Born | Glasgow University | 13 September 1916
Doctoral students | Edwin Power, Bruno Touschek |
Sir John Currie Gunn
Early life and education
Gunn was born at 19 Kelvinside Gardens East, Glasgow, the son of Richard Robertson Gunn, a tailor and clothier, and his wife, Jane Blair, née Currie.[2]
Gunn attended
Career
Just before
In 1943, while still working at the Admiralty, Gunn was elected to a Research Fellowship at
Gunn then went to work at
During his time at Glasgow University, Gunn collaborated with
Later, Gunn played a notable part in the development of the
He also was active in recruiting members of "three distinct theoretical research groups" at Glasgow University, "one of which remained active into the twenty-first century."[2] Gunn retired from his position as Professor of Natural Philosophy and Cargill chairman in 1982.[1] In 1968, Gunn became a member of the
He became a member of Glasgow University's Grants Committee in 1973 and was Chairman of its Equipment Sub-committee until 1976. From 1976 to 1981, he was chairman of the university's Physical Sciences sub-committee. He was Vice-Principal of Glasgow University from 1972 till 1977 and Dean of Faculties from 1988 to 1992.[1]
Death
Gunn died of pneumonia and heart failure at Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, on 26 July 2002, and his funeral service was held at the University Chapel, Glasgow University, on 2 August.[2]
Honors and awards
Upon graduation from Cambridge, Gunn was awarded the Mayhew Prize in applied mathematics.
Gunn was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1959.
In the
In 1985 he was awarded the
Gunn was awarded an honorary D.Sc. (Doctor of Science) by Glasgow in 2001. He also had honorary D.Sc. degrees from Heriot-Watt[8] and Loughborough, and an honorary D. Univ. from Oxford.[1]
Personal life and attributes
On 30 September 1944, he married Betty Russum (1919/20–2002), a secretary, who was the daughter of Roger Russum, a brush manufacturer. She predeceased him by only six months. They had one son, Michael, born 1954, who became a theoretical physicist and a professor at
Gunn was an avid lunchtime chess player[3] and a lifelong cello player and concertgoer, He is described as having "a great love of music" and as being "a keen golfer" who "displayed little interest in other sports."[1][2] "In personal interaction, alertly clever, he had a comprehension of others," according to one colleague. "Mingling in the Department and University he had humour and lively and persistent conversation. From 1972 to 1982 he was the benevolent Head of a remarkably happy Department."[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Sir John Currie Gunn" (PDF). Royal Society Education.
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/77247. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b c "Sir John Gunn; University professor who specialised in science research". Financial Times.
- ^ a b "Papers of Sir John Currie Gunn, 1916–2002, Cargill Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of Glasgow, Scotland". Archives Hub. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ "No. 46919". The London Gazette. 4 June 1976. p. 8022.
- ^ "No. 48837". The London Gazette. 30 December 1981. p. 1.
- ^ "Glazebrook Medal Recipients". Institute of Physics. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ "Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh: Honorary Graduates". www1.hw.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- Moorhouse, Gordon (2002). Sir John Currie Gunn (Obituary) (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- Moorhouse, Gordon (2002). Sir John Currie Gunn (Obituary). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- Moorhouse, Gordon. "Sir John Currie Gunn." The Royal Society of Edinburgh. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 December 2012. <http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/gunn_john.pdf>
- "The University of Glasgow Story." University of Glasgow. N.p., 14 August 2008. Web. 2 December 2012. <http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH1433&type=P>