E. J. Bowen
Encyclopedia
Edmund John Bowen FRS was a British chemist
. Born in Worcester
, E. J. Bowen attended the Royal Grammar School Worcester
. He won the Brackenbury Scholarship in 1915 and 1916 to Oxford University where he studied chemistry
. He returned to Balliol College after serving in the Royal Garrison Artillery
during World War I
and in 1922 became a Fellow of University College, Oxford
. At University College he served as Domestic Bursar and as Junior Proctor
of the University in 1936.
Created a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1935 for his research into fluorescence
, he was awarded the Davy Medal
in 1963. He wrote a famous book called The Chemical Aspects of Light. He was President of the Faraday Society
and Vice-President of the Chemical Society
.
Most of Bowen's work was carried out at the Trinity
and Balliol College Laboratories. His 1966 Liversedge Lecture on Fluorescence was based on his life's research. On retirement he became an Honorary Fellow of University College and was one of the longest serving Fellows of that college (43 years as an ordinary Fellow and a total of 59 years). There is a room in the college named after him. He was also a prominent Worcester Old Elizabethan serving on its Committee for many years and organizing the Oxford
branch of that club.
On 16 May 1931 Bowen, then a University don, attended one of a series of three lectures given by Albert Einstein
that year at Rhodes House. After the lecture he obtained one of the blackboards used by Einstein
and together with Francis Wylie
presented it to the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford where it remains on prominent display to this day.
It is interesting to note that at five generations of supervisor back from Bowen one will find Bunsen
and at ten generations back, Lavoisier. Bowen lived for most of his working life in Park Town
and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery
, north of Oxford.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
. Born in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, E. J. Bowen attended the Royal Grammar School Worcester
Royal Grammar School Worcester
The Royal Grammar School Worcester is an independent coeducational school in Worcester, United Kingdom. Founded before 1291, it is one of the oldest British independent schools....
. He won the Brackenbury Scholarship in 1915 and 1916 to Oxford University where he studied chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. He returned to Balliol College after serving in the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and in 1922 became a Fellow of University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
. At University College he served as Domestic Bursar and as Junior Proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
of the University in 1936.
Created a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1935 for his research into fluorescence
Fluorescence
Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation of a different wavelength. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore lower energy, than the absorbed radiation...
, he was awarded the Davy Medal
Davy Medal
The Davy Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry". Named after Humphry Davy, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1877 to Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Gustav Robert Kirchhoff "for...
in 1963. He wrote a famous book called The Chemical Aspects of Light. He was President of the Faraday Society
Faraday Society
The Faraday Society was a British society for the study of physical chemistry, founded in 1903 and named in honour of Michael Faraday. It merged with several similar organisations in 1980 to form the Royal Society of Chemistry...
and Vice-President of the Chemical Society
Chemical Society
The Chemical Society was formed in 1841 as a result of increased interest in scientific matters....
.
Most of Bowen's work was carried out at the Trinity
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
and Balliol College Laboratories. His 1966 Liversedge Lecture on Fluorescence was based on his life's research. On retirement he became an Honorary Fellow of University College and was one of the longest serving Fellows of that college (43 years as an ordinary Fellow and a total of 59 years). There is a room in the college named after him. He was also a prominent Worcester Old Elizabethan serving on its Committee for many years and organizing the Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
branch of that club.
On 16 May 1931 Bowen, then a University don, attended one of a series of three lectures given by Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
that year at Rhodes House. After the lecture he obtained one of the blackboards used by Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
and together with Francis Wylie
Francis Wylie
Sir Francis James Wylie was a British university academic and administrator. He was the first Warden of Rhodes House at Oxford University, England....
presented it to the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford where it remains on prominent display to this day.
It is interesting to note that at five generations of supervisor back from Bowen one will find Bunsen
Robert Bunsen
Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen was a German chemist. He investigated emission spectra of heated elements, and discovered caesium and rubidium with Gustav Kirchhoff. Bunsen developed several gas-analytical methods, was a pioneer in photochemistry, and did early work in the field of organoarsenic...
and at ten generations back, Lavoisier. Bowen lived for most of his working life in Park Town
Park Town, Oxford
Park Town is a small residential area in central North Oxford, a suburb of Oxford, England. It was one of the earliest planned suburban developments in the area.-History and overview:...
and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery
Wolvercote Cemetery
Wolvercote Cemetery is a cemetery close to the north Oxford suburb of Wolvercote, England, off the Banbury Road. Unusually, this single cemetery is divided into areas to accommodate graves of the Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as all categories of Christians. Many Russians, Poles and other...
, north of Oxford.
See also
- Cyril Norman HinshelwoodCyril Norman HinshelwoodSir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood OM PRS was an English physical chemist.Born in London, his parents were Norman Macmillan Hinshelwood, a chartered accountant, and Ethe Frances née Smith. He was educated first in Canada, returning in 1905 on the death of his father to a small flat in Chelsea where he...
, a contemporary Oxford physical chemist - Bowen's son, Humphry BowenHumphry BowenHumphry John Moule Bowen was a British botanist and chemist.Bowen was born in Oxford, son of the chemist Edmund Bowen. He attended the Dragon School, gaining a scholarship to Rugby School and then a demyship to Magdalen College, Oxford...
, another chemist - Bowen's grandson, Jonathan BowenJonathan BowenJonathan P. Bowen FBCS FRSA is a British computer scientist. He is Chairman of Museophile Limited, an Emeritus Professor at London South Bank University where he has headed the Centre for Applied Formal Methods, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Westminster...
, a computer scientist - His successor at University CollegeUniversity College, Oxford.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, John AlberyJohn AlberyWyndham John Albery FRS is a British chemist and academic.John Albery was educated at Winchester College and Balliol College, Oxford. He undertook his D.Phil. with Ronnie Bell, starting in 1960...
External links
- Bowen, E. J. (Edmund John) 1898–1980: Papers, 1921–1980 at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.
- Oxford Physical Chemistry: Early days.
- Chemiluminescence from Dissolved Oxygen, by E. J. Bowen, NatureNature (journal)Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, 201:180, 11 January 1964. - E. J. Bowen books, Open LibraryOpen LibraryOpen Library is an online project intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation.-Books for the blind and...
.