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.

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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 Awards

Related Corporate Bodies

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

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

Resource Sections

See also

Digital resources

Title
Edwin James George Pitman
Type
Image

Details

Gavan McCarthy; Ken McInnes

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 10 April 2024

EOAS ID: biogs/P000713b.htm

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