Michell, John Henry (1863 - 1940)

Summary

John Michell was Lecturer in Mathematics, University of Melbourne from 1891 and then Professor 1923-1928. During the period 1890-1902 he published his researches in the theory of hydrodynamics and elasticity and became a world leader in the field.
In 1902 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, London, the first graduate from the University of Melbourne to be so honoured.

In 1999 Australian and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ANZIAM) inaugurated the J. H. Michell Medal for outstanding new researchers.

Details

Chronology

1884

Education - BA (Hons), University of Melbourne

1887

Career position - Senior wrangler, University of Cambridge

1891 - 1923

Career position - Independent Lecturer in Mixed Mathematics, University of Melbourne

1902 - 1940

Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)

1921 -

Career position - Foundation Councillor (Mathematics), Australian National Research Council

1923 - 1928

Career position - Professor of Mathematics, University of Melbourne

1928

Life event - Retired

1940

Life event - Buried, Boroondara Cemetery, Victoria

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• John Henry Michell - Records, 1884 - 1898, MS 013; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

The University of Melbourne Archives

• John Henry Michell - Records, 1881 - 1940; The University of Melbourne Archives. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details

Books

• Michell, J. H.; and Michell, A. G. M., Collected mathematical works of J. H. and A. G. M. Michell: edited by F. W. Niedenfuhr and J. R. M.Radok (Groningen, Netherlands: P. Noordhoff, 1964), 338 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Cherry, T. M, 'Michell, John Henry (1863-1940), mathematician' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 10: 1891 - 1939 Lat-Ner, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1986), pp. 494-495. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100481b.htm. Details

Conference Papers

• Lowe, Peter G., 'Theory, Practice and Engineering Heritage', in Eleventh National Conference on Engineering Heritage: Federation Engineering a Nation; Proceedings (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2001), pp. 117-124., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.520604624167273. Details

Journal Articles

• Cohen, Graeme, 'The appointment of the first four professors of mathematics in the University of Melbourne', Gazette of the Australian Mathematical Society, 33 (1) (2006), 14-21. Details
• Michell, A. G. M., 'John Henry Michell 1863 - 1941', Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society, 3 (9) (1941). Details
• Tuck, E. O., 'The Wave Resistance Formula of J.H. Michell (1989) and its Significance to Recent Research in Ship Hydrodynamics', Journal of the Australian Mathematical Society, Series B, 30 (1989), 365-377. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6238887. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/3890908. Details
• 'Michell, J H (1863-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-495047. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Michell, John Henry - Ms 13', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms013.html. Details
• 'Michell, John Henry', in Physics in Australia to 1945, R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham, Australian Science Archives Project, June 1995, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/physics/P000642p.htm. Details

See also

• Serle, Percival, Dictionary of Australian biography (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1949). Details