George Neville Watson

George Neville Watson, 1886-1965. Education: St Paul's School, London; Trinity College, Cambridge. Career: Fellow, Trinity College, Cambridge, 1910-1916; 1914, Assistant Lecturer, 1915-18; Assistant Professor, University College, London; 1918-1951; Professor of Mathematics, University of Birmingham (appointed on the retirement of Professor R. S. Heath): in 1937, the Mathematics Department divided into two - for pure and applied mathematics - and Watson became Professor of Pure Mathematics. The new mathematics building, opened in 1961, was named the Watson Building in his honour.

Membership of Societies: Active member of the London Mathematical Society from 1907, holding a number of offices (member of the Council, 1918-46; honorary secretary, 1919-33, honorary editor, 1937-46, President, 1933-35 and Vice-President, 1935-36). Member of Mathematical Association (President, 1932-33).

Awards: De Morgan Medal, London Mathematical Society, 1947; Gold Medal, Royal Danish Academy, 1912; Sylvester Medal, Royal Society, 1946; honorary doctorates from Dublin and Edinburgh; honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Publications: Titles of his three books: Complex Integration and Cauchy's Theorem Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics, No. 15, Cambridge University Press, 1914; A Course of Modern Analysis (with E. T. Whittaker) Cambridge University Press, 2nd ed. 1915, 3rd ed. 1920, 4th ed. 1927 (reprinted 1935, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1958, 1962) A treatise on the theory of Bessel functions, Cambridge University Press, 1st ed. 1922, 2nd ed. 1944 ( reprinted 1952, 1958, 1962, 1966).

Reference: R. A. Rankin 'George Neville Watson' Journal of the London Mathematical Society ( 41, 1966).

For further reading about the University of Birmingham see: Eric Ives, Diane Drummond, Leonard Schwarz The First Civic University: Birmingham 1880-1980 An Introductory History (The University of University of Birmingham Press. 2000).

From the guide to the University of Birmingham Staff Papers: Papers of George Neville Watson, [191-]-[195-], (University of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department)