Joseph
John Thompson
Childhood
in Manchester
On
18th December 1856 Joseph John Thomson was born in Cheetham,
a village which later became a suburb of northern Manchester.
Thomson showed an interest in science from a very young
age and when he was fourteen his parents encouraged
him to become an engineer. He was to be apprenticed
to a local firm of engineers, but they were a popular
company and Thomson was put on a waiting list for two
years.
Rather
than remain in school during this wait, Thomson entered
the Owens College. Ten years later the College became
part of the Victoria University, which is now the University
of Manchester. Thomson was very young to enter the College,
and shortly after his arrival the rules were changed
so that only students aged sixteen and over could study
there.
When
he was sixteen, Thomson's father died. His family was
no longer able to afford his apprenticeship, so after
qualifying as an engineer Thomson began to study physics
and mathematics.
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Student
and Fellow
In
1875 Thomson applied to Trinity College, Cambridge,
but was only accepted a year later when he applied a
second time. He was awarded a small scholarship of £75
a year, of which £36 a year was paid to his mathematical
coach Edward Routh.
Thomson
took the Mathematical Tripos exams in 1880, and was
Second Wrangler, meaning only one other student had
done better in that year's exams. The other student
was Joseph Larmor, an Irish physicist who went on to
become the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge.
Thomson
remained at Cambridge after taking his degree, and began
studying phenomena that involved changes of energy from
one form to another. A year later he applied for and
was elected a Fellow of Trinity College.
When
Lord Rayleigh resigned as Cavendish Professor of Experimental
Physics in 1884, Thomson applied for the post. There
were four other applicants, including Richard T. Glazebrook,
a demonstrator at the Laboratory. Most people thought
that Glazebrook would be appointed, as he had years
of experience teaching experimental physics.
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The
Cavendish Professor
A
week after applying, Thomson was appointed as the new
Professor. This came as a great surprise, as he was
still in his twenties and had little experience of experimental
physics, his own work having been mainly theoretical
up to that point. Glazebrook was surprised, but didn't
appear bitter. He wrote to Thomson shortly after his
appointment, wishing him 'happiness and sucess as Professor'
and apologising for not writing sooner since 'the news
of the election was too great a surprise to permit him
to do so'.
As
Professor, Thomson began the study of electrical conduction
through gases. It was this line of research that led
to his discovery
of the electron in 1897. Many other major discoveries
were also made while he was Professor, including Thomson's
discovery of isotopes, Aston's
development of the mass spectrograph and Wilson's
invention of the cloud chamber. Ernest
Rutherford, Lawrence
Bragg, Owen Richardson, Edward Appleton and Thomson's
own son George all began their research in Thomson's
Laboratory, and went on to win Nobel prizes.
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Master
of Trinity
Thomson
retired as Cavendish Professor in 1919, having been
appointed as Master of Trinity College a year earlier.
Rutherford took over as Cavendish Professor, but Thomson
became a special Professor of Physics who continued
to work alongside Rutherford until the new Professor's
premature death.
Thomson
himself died on 30th August, 1940. His ashes were buried
in Westminster Abbey near the tombs of Isaac Newton,
Charles Darwin, and his friend Rutherford.
Thomson
received the Nobel physics prize in 1906 for his 'investigations
of the passage of electricity through gases', and was
knighted in 1908. He was President of the Royal Society
from 1914-1916, President of the Institute of Physics
from 1921-1923, and Master of Trinity College from 1918
until his death.
In
1890 he married Rose Paget, a former student. They had
two children, George and Joan. Thomson was an unassuming
and unpretentious man, despite his achievements and
awards. His main hobby outside of his research was gardening.
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