Christopher Grigson
Encyclopedia
Christopher William Baisely "Grig" Grigson (1 December 1926 - 19 February 2001) was a British naval architect and electronics engineer
who is credited with the invention of scanning electron diffraction
.
, India to Sir Wilfrid Grigson
, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Provinces and Berar
, and his wife, Lady Phyllis Grigson. Grigson and his sister Claudia (who later married Henry Chilver) were both educated at a prep school
in Sussex. While visiting his uncle and aunt in Cambridge he became ill with osteomyelitis
of the hip, which left him bedridden for two years. Unable to leave, he was brought up by his uncle and aunt, and in 1946 won a place to study mechanical science at Trinity College, Cambridge
. Despite still being ill he gained Firsts in both the Part I and Part II mechanical science tripos
es. After his health improved he took a PhD
in electronics at Cambridge.
developing the Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM), which is still used today. He became a Fellow of Trinity College in 1962, and in the same year married a Norwegian student at Bell School named Helle Bang. During a sabbatical year at Bell Laboratories in 1964-1965 he continued work on improving SEM technology. The scanning diffraction system that he developed for scanning transmission electron microscopes
was known for many years as the "Grigson coil."
In 1968 he moved to Kristiansand
, Norway to begin working at his father-in-law's naval firm, A/S Athene. He ran the company for several years from his father-in-law's death in 1974 until the company closed due to oil crises of the 1970s. After the business closed he worked as an independent consultant in hydrodynamics, including investigation of the sinking of the bulk ore carrier Derbyshire. In 1992 he and his family moved to Grimstad
, and Grigson began lecturing at the University of Agder Engineering College, teaching hydrodynamics and basic physics. He published nearly 20 papers in the journal of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects
before his death of cancer
in Grimstad on 19 February 2001.
Grigson was a fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering, also referred to as electronic engineering, is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical components such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, are utilized to design electronic...
who is credited with the invention of scanning electron diffraction
Electron diffraction
Electron diffraction refers to the wave nature of electrons. However, from a technical or practical point of view, it may be regarded as a technique used to study matter by firing electrons at a sample and observing the resulting interference pattern...
.
Early life and education
Grigson was born in HoshangabadHoshangabad
Hoshangabad is a city and a municipality in Hoshangabad district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is a city in the central india region, located on the south bank of the Narmada River, and is the administrative center of Hoshangabad District.-History:mohammed bharmal & abdeali batawalaThe...
, India to Sir Wilfrid Grigson
Wilfrid Grigson
Sir Wilfrid Vernon Grigson CSI was a British soldier and civil servant.-Life:Grigson was born in 1896 in the Vicarage at Pelynt to Canon William Shuckforth Grigson and Mary Beatrice Boldero, and was one of seven brothers, including Geoffrey Grigson, Kenneth Grigson and John Grigson...
, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Provinces and Berar
Central Provinces and Berar
The Central Provinces and Berar was a province of British India. The province comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered much of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur. The Central Provinces was formed in...
, and his wife, Lady Phyllis Grigson. Grigson and his sister Claudia (who later married Henry Chilver) were both educated at a prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in Sussex. While visiting his uncle and aunt in Cambridge he became ill with osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis simply means an infection of the bone or bone marrow...
of the hip, which left him bedridden for two years. Unable to leave, he was brought up by his uncle and aunt, and in 1946 won a place to study mechanical science at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. Despite still being ill he gained Firsts in both the Part I and Part II mechanical science tripos
Tripos
The University of Cambridge, England, divides the different kinds of honours bachelor's degree by Tripos , plural Triposes. The word has an obscure etymology, but may be traced to the three-legged stool candidates once used to sit on when taking oral examinations...
es. After his health improved he took a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in electronics at Cambridge.
Career
Grigson began to work at the university, becoming a demonstrator in 1953, and lecturer in 1957. During the 1950s he worked on the team of Charles OatleyCharles Oatley
Sir Charles William Oatley OBE, FRS FREng was Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Cambridge, 1960–1971, and developer of one of the first commercial scanning electron microscopes....
developing the Scanning Electron Microscope
Scanning electron microscope
A scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that images a sample by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern...
(SEM), which is still used today. He became a Fellow of Trinity College in 1962, and in the same year married a Norwegian student at Bell School named Helle Bang. During a sabbatical year at Bell Laboratories in 1964-1965 he continued work on improving SEM technology. The scanning diffraction system that he developed for scanning transmission electron microscopes
Transmission electron microscopy
Transmission electron microscopy is a microscopy technique whereby a beam of electrons is transmitted through an ultra thin specimen, interacting with the specimen as it passes through...
was known for many years as the "Grigson coil."
In 1968 he moved to Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
, Norway to begin working at his father-in-law's naval firm, A/S Athene. He ran the company for several years from his father-in-law's death in 1974 until the company closed due to oil crises of the 1970s. After the business closed he worked as an independent consultant in hydrodynamics, including investigation of the sinking of the bulk ore carrier Derbyshire. In 1992 he and his family moved to Grimstad
Grimstad
is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Grimstad. Other notable places in Grimstad include Eide, Fevik, Fjære, Landvik, Prestegårdskogen, Reddal, and Roresanden.It is...
, and Grigson began lecturing at the University of Agder Engineering College, teaching hydrodynamics and basic physics. He published nearly 20 papers in the journal of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects
Royal Institution of Naval Architects
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects is an international organisation representing naval architects. It is an international professional institution whose members are involved world-wide at all levels in the design, construction, repair and operation of ships, boats and marine...
before his death of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Grimstad on 19 February 2001.
Grigson was a fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.