Joseph Proudman
Encyclopedia
Joseph Proudman CBE
, FRS was a distinguished British
mathematician
and oceanographer of international repute. His theoretical studies into the oceanic tides not only "solved practically all the remaining tidal problems which are soluble within the framework of classical hydrodynamics and analytical mathematics" but laid the basis of a tidal prediction service (developed with A. T. Doodson) of great international importance.
Proudman was born at Unsworth, near Bury
, Lancashire
on 30 December 1888. He attended primary schools at Unsworth and Bold and from 1902 to 1907 he was a pupil-teacher at Farnworth primary school. He augmented his secondary schooling by having extra lessons before school officially started in the morning and also by attending evening classes at Widnes Technical School studying art, mathematics and physiography. He was awarded the Tate Technical Science entrance scholarship and entered the University of Liverpool
in 1907. He graduated with first class honours in 1910 winning the Hudson prize for geometry and the Derby scholarship. With this and the award of an entrance exhibition, he had a second brilliant undergraduate career, studying pure and applied mathematics at Trinity College Cambridge
where he became a Wrangler with distinction graduating in 1912.
It was his tutor Rev. E. W. Barnes who suggested that Proudman write to Professor H. Lamb
at Manchester for a suitable topic of research. This started him on his studies of the dynamics of tides which was to become his main scientific interest. He returned to Liverpool as a lecturer in 1913, was appointed the first professor of applied mathematics in 1919 and in 1933 transferred to the chair of oceanography
to which he brought a change of emphasis from biological to physical oceanography
. He held this post until his retirement in 1954. In 1916 Horace Lamb asked Proudman to assist him in preparing a report for the British Association on the state of research on ocean tides. This led Proudman to the idea of founding an institute for research into all aspects of tides, an idea which was brought to fruition in 1919 with the financial aid of the Booth brothers, two Liverpool
ship-owners. The University of Liverpool Tidal Institute started its work with Proudman as Honorary Director and A. T. Doodson as Secretary and in a few years acquired a national and international reputation for its tidal prediction services as well as for fundamental research. It is stated that from 1924 up to the 1950s the Institute was responsible for predicting tides for two-thirds of the world. After several changes of name and status the Institute (having amalgamated with the Liverpool Observatory in 1929) is now the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (see external links below).
The Adams prize
of the University of Cambridge
was awarded to Proudman in 1923 for an essay on tides, which proved to be a remarkable seed-bed of ideas from which there developed a series of papers, many of them jointly with Doodson, of theoretical and practical importance. Proudman used to say that his partnership with Doodson was so successful because he liked to do the algebra while Doodson preferred the arithmetic, an understatement of their work which nevertheless indicated their complementary interests. In addition to his work in developing the departments of applied mathematics and oceanography, Proudman took a full part in University administration and acted as Pro-Vice-Chancellor during the war years 1940-46. Quoting the maxim that "the quickest way to get a lot of things done is to do one thing at a time" he was able to go straight to the heart of a problem, whether scientific or administrative, with an intuition which matched his intellectual ability. After his retirement the University of Liverpool conferred on him the honorary LLD degree. He was a fellow of the Royal Society
(elected 1925) which awarded him the Hughes Medal
in 1957 and he served on many scientific and government committees.
Professor Proudman was a well-known figure in international scientific circles and acted as Secretary of the International Association of Physical Oceanography (now the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean) for a number of years before becoming its President in 1951-54. His foreign distinctions included membership of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
, and the Alexander Agassiz Medal
of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
. He was awarded the CBE
in the 1952 Birthday Honours. Professor Proudman married Rubina Ormrod in 1916 and there were two sons and a daughter of their marriage (James, Nancy and Ian). After his first wife died in 1958, Proudman married Beryl Gould in 1961, who survived him. Proudman died on 26 June 1975.
(Adapted from the Times obituary 3 July 1975 and the Biographical Memoirs of the Royal Society, 1976, Vol. 22, pp. 319-333 by D. E. Cartwright and F. Ursell.)
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FRS was a distinguished British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and oceanographer of international repute. His theoretical studies into the oceanic tides not only "solved practically all the remaining tidal problems which are soluble within the framework of classical hydrodynamics and analytical mathematics" but laid the basis of a tidal prediction service (developed with A. T. Doodson) of great international importance.
Proudman was born at Unsworth, near Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
on 30 December 1888. He attended primary schools at Unsworth and Bold and from 1902 to 1907 he was a pupil-teacher at Farnworth primary school. He augmented his secondary schooling by having extra lessons before school officially started in the morning and also by attending evening classes at Widnes Technical School studying art, mathematics and physiography. He was awarded the Tate Technical Science entrance scholarship and entered the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
in 1907. He graduated with first class honours in 1910 winning the Hudson prize for geometry and the Derby scholarship. With this and the award of an entrance exhibition, he had a second brilliant undergraduate career, studying pure and applied mathematics 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...
where he became a Wrangler with distinction graduating in 1912.
It was his tutor Rev. E. W. Barnes who suggested that Proudman write to Professor H. Lamb
Horace Lamb
Sir Horace Lamb FRS was a British applied mathematician and author of several influential texts on classical physics, among them Hydrodynamics and Dynamical Theory of Sound...
at Manchester for a suitable topic of research. This started him on his studies of the dynamics of tides which was to become his main scientific interest. He returned to Liverpool as a lecturer in 1913, was appointed the first professor of applied mathematics in 1919 and in 1933 transferred to the chair of oceanography
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
to which he brought a change of emphasis from biological to physical oceanography
Physical oceanography
Physical oceanography is the study of physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean, especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters.Physical oceanography is one of several sub-domains into which oceanography is divided...
. He held this post until his retirement in 1954. In 1916 Horace Lamb asked Proudman to assist him in preparing a report for the British Association on the state of research on ocean tides. This led Proudman to the idea of founding an institute for research into all aspects of tides, an idea which was brought to fruition in 1919 with the financial aid of the Booth brothers, two Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
ship-owners. The University of Liverpool Tidal Institute started its work with Proudman as Honorary Director and A. T. Doodson as Secretary and in a few years acquired a national and international reputation for its tidal prediction services as well as for fundamental research. It is stated that from 1924 up to the 1950s the Institute was responsible for predicting tides for two-thirds of the world. After several changes of name and status the Institute (having amalgamated with the Liverpool Observatory in 1929) is now the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (see external links below).
The Adams prize
Adams Prize
The Adams Prize is awarded each year by the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and St John's College to a young, UK based mathematician for first-class international research in the Mathematical Sciences....
of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
was awarded to Proudman in 1923 for an essay on tides, which proved to be a remarkable seed-bed of ideas from which there developed a series of papers, many of them jointly with Doodson, of theoretical and practical importance. Proudman used to say that his partnership with Doodson was so successful because he liked to do the algebra while Doodson preferred the arithmetic, an understatement of their work which nevertheless indicated their complementary interests. In addition to his work in developing the departments of applied mathematics and oceanography, Proudman took a full part in University administration and acted as Pro-Vice-Chancellor during the war years 1940-46. Quoting the maxim that "the quickest way to get a lot of things done is to do one thing at a time" he was able to go straight to the heart of a problem, whether scientific or administrative, with an intuition which matched his intellectual ability. After his retirement the University of Liverpool conferred on him the honorary LLD degree. He was a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(elected 1925) which awarded him the Hughes Medal
Hughes Medal
The Hughes Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "in recognition of an original discovery in the physical sciences, particularly electricity and magnetism or their applications". Named after David E. Hughes, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1902 to...
in 1957 and he served on many scientific and government committees.
Professor Proudman was a well-known figure in international scientific circles and acted as Secretary of the International Association of Physical Oceanography (now the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean) for a number of years before becoming its President in 1951-54. His foreign distinctions included membership of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
, and the Alexander Agassiz Medal
Alexander Agassiz Medal
The Alexander Agassiz Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for an original contribution in the science of oceanography. It was established by Sir John Murray in honor of his friend Alexander Agassiz.-Recipients:-References:NotesA...
of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
. He was awarded the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the 1952 Birthday Honours. Professor Proudman married Rubina Ormrod in 1916 and there were two sons and a daughter of their marriage (James, Nancy and Ian). After his first wife died in 1958, Proudman married Beryl Gould in 1961, who survived him. Proudman died on 26 June 1975.
(Adapted from the Times obituary 3 July 1975 and the Biographical Memoirs of the Royal Society, 1976, Vol. 22, pp. 319-333 by D. E. Cartwright and F. Ursell.)
See also
- Coriolis force
- Proudman-Taylor or Taylor-Proudman Theorem