Person
Pitman, Edwin James George (1897 - 1993)
FAA
- Born
- 29 October 1897
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Died
- 21 July 1993
Kingston, Tasmania, Australia - Occupation
- Mathematician
Summary
Edwin Pitman was Professor of Mathematics, University of Tasmania 1926-1962. He was educated at South Melbourne College and Ormond College, University of Melbourne and went on to be Acting Professor of Mathematics at Canterbury College, University of New Zealand 1922-1923. He returned to Australia to tutor in mathematics and physics at Trinity and Ormond Colleges, University of Melbourne 1924-1925 before accepting the position in Tasmania. His research contributed significantly to the statistical theory of estimation and the theory of non-parametric tests of significance.
The Statistical Society of Australia has awarded the Pitman Medal, named in his honour, since 1978.
Details
Chronology
- - 1921
- Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Melbourne
- - 1922
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Melbourne
- - 1923
- Education - Masters of Arts (MA), University of Melbourne
- 1918 - 1919
- Military service - First World War. Fourteenth Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
- 1922 - 1923
- Career position - Acting Professor of Mathematics, Canterbury College, University of New Zealand
- 1924 - 1925
- Career position - Part-Time Lecturer in Physics, University of Melbourne
- 1924 - 1925
- Career position - Tutor in Mathematics and Physics, Trinity College and Ormond College, University of Melbourne
- 1926 - 1962
- Career position - Professor of Mathematics, University of Tasmania
- c. 1942 - c. 1946
- Military service - Second World War. Education Officer, No. 6 Recruiting Centre RAAF and Wing Training Officer No. 6 Wing Air Training Corps
- 1954 - 1993
- Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 1959 - 1960
- Career event - President, Australian Mathematical Society
- 1978
- Award - Pitman Medal (named in his honour), Statistical Society of Australia
- 1987 -
- Award - Mathematics Library, University of Tasmania, named the Pitman Collection in his honour, to mark his 90th birthday
- 1998
- Award (posthumous) - Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945
Related entries
Archival resources
University of Tasmania Library, Special/Rare Collection
- Edwin James George Pitman - Records, 1922 - 1993, UT543; University of Tasmania Library, Special/Rare Collection. Details
Published resources
Book Sections
- Pitman, Jane, 'Pitman, Edwin James George (1897-1993), professor of mathematics and statistician' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 19: 1991 - 1995 A-Z, Melanie Nolan, ed. (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 2021), pp. 675-677, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pitman-edwin-james-george-27021. Details
Journal Articles
- Lancaster, H. O., 'Statistical Society of New South Wales', Australian Journal of Statistics, 30 (B) (1988), 99-109. Details
- Pitman, E. J. G., 'Charles Ernest Weatherburn, Professor of Mathematics', Mathematical Scientist, 6 (11) (1981), 1-12. Details
- Williams, E. J., 'Edwin James George Pitman 1897-1993', Historical Records of Australian Science, 10 (2) (1994), 163-185. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9941020163. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1294714. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/223625709. Details
- CA 2001 Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office, 'NAA: B2455, Piitman Edwin James George', B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=8015968. Details
- CA 778, Air Services Branch; CA 35, Department of Air, Central Office, 'NAA: A9300, PITMAN E J G', A9300 RAAF Officers Personnel files, 1921-1948, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=5252206. Details
- 'Pitman, Edwin J G (1897-1993)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1038051. Details
Resource Sections
- Williams, Evan J., 'Edwin James George Pitman 1897-1993', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 2006, https://www.science.org.au/fellowship/fellows/biographical-memoirs/edwin-james-george-pitman-1897-1993. Details
See also
- Paterson, M. S., 'John Conrad Jaeger 1907-1979', Historical Records of Australian Science, 5 (3) (1982), 64-88. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9820530064. Details
Digital resources
Gavan McCarthy; Ken McInnes
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 10 April 2024
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education