MacTutor
George FitzGerald
Times obituary
Our Dublin Correspondent telegraphs:
Professor George Francis Fitzgerald, of Trinity College, Dublin, died on Thursday at his residence, 7, Ely Place, Dublin. Professor Fitzgerald was born in Dublin 50 years ago and was the son of Dr. Fitzgerald, Bishop of Cork, who was afterwards translated to Killaloe. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he had a most distinguished career. He was the first science scholar in 1670, the year in which the present Bishop of Meath took the second place. The following year he won the University Studentship with two first senior moderatorships in mathematics and experimental science. Six years later he won his Fellowship. In 1880 he was appointed registrar of the University Engineering School, and the following year he was elected to the post of Erasmus Smith Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy He took his degree of Doctor of Science in the University in the summer of 1891. Professor Fitzgerald was president of section A of the British Association at its congress in Bath in 1888, and he held the position of examiner for London University in experimental sciences since 1888. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1883, and he acted as hon, secretary of the Royal Dublin Society between the years 1881 and 1889. He was always a notable exponent of reform in university education, and his views on the modernization of Trinity College, on the question of Roman Catholic university education, and on the higher education of women were urged with force and perseverance. In 1888 he was appointed a member of the Board of National Education, and a great part of his time was devoted to its important work. A few months ago Dr. Fitzgerald was appointed with five others to the Intermediate Education Board, and his cooperation and advice will be missed by his colleagues in the responsible work of reconstruction on which they are now engaged.
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A correspondent writes:
Professor Fitzgerald was recognized as being among the foremost men of his generation in physical science; the most ungrudgingly helpful to all other scientific men; looked up to by his contemporaries, not merely with respect, but with such genuine affection that this paragraph couveys not merely a news of disaster to the progress of science, but of a personal calamity to great men of science all over the world. He was the indefatigable helper of his students, a number of whom are Fellows of the Royal Society. He was the colleague and inspiring friend of all men who were trying to do good in the world, but more especially of men who were trying to help Irish industry and Trish education of all types In every department of applied science, in any kind of engineering, his advice was known to be valuable, and he was always ready to give it. His life was devoted to the interests of others in a whole-hearted way. He seemed perfectly unselfish, quite discerning to have his name honoured, and yet perfectly alive to his own worth. His friends in England did not realize that he was still unwell. It was thought advisable to perform an operation; this was successful, but he did not have sufficient strength to recover." The funeral will take place on Tuesday morning.
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,
At a meeting of the Faculty of Science of the newly-constituted University of London, held this afternoon, the following resolution was unanimously adopted: "That this meeting of the Faculty of Science of the University of London, having heard with profound solace of the premature death of the Institute Professor George Francis FitzGerald, desires to place on record its high appreciation of his brilliant qualities as a man, as a scientist, as an investigator, and as a lender of scientific thought, and to express to his family its heartfelt sympathy under the calamity which has befallen science and many friends."
It is right that the public should be made acquainted with the position occupied by the late professor in the esteem of those best qualified to judge of his influence on the progress of physical sobriety; and all the more because, by reason of his own modesty, his name is less familiar to the world at large than the names of many others whose contributions to science have been less important. Professor FitzGerald was one of those unselfish souls who are willing to share their ideas with their friends, and to his inspiration many a scientific man owes a clarification and enlightenment of his own mind which is not always fully acknowledged. Trinity College loses a brilliant member of its professorial body, but Cambridge and London will feel the loss equally with his own university.
As evidence of his versatility and the respect in which his views were held by representatives of different branches of science, it may be mentioned that in 1896, at the invitation of the Chemical Society, he delivered the Helmholt Memorial Lecture before that society, a most memorable discourse, and in 1890 a Royal Medal was awarded to him by the Royal Society, chiefly in recognition of his achievements in the ___domain of radiation and electrical theory. In the words of the president, Lord Lister, on the occasion of presenting the medal, "His critical activity pervades an unbounded world, enlivened and enriched throughout by the fruits of a luxuriant imagination."
Alas! The verb must now be changed into the past tense.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
William A. Tilden,
Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of London,
February 26
Our Dublin Correspondent telegraphs:
Professor George Francis Fitzgerald, of Trinity College, Dublin, died on Thursday at his residence, 7, Ely Place, Dublin. Professor Fitzgerald was born in Dublin 50 years ago and was the son of Dr. Fitzgerald, Bishop of Cork, who was afterwards translated to Killaloe. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he had a most distinguished career. He was the first science scholar in 1670, the year in which the present Bishop of Meath took the second place. The following year he won the University Studentship with two first senior moderatorships in mathematics and experimental science. Six years later he won his Fellowship. In 1880 he was appointed registrar of the University Engineering School, and the following year he was elected to the post of Erasmus Smith Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy He took his degree of Doctor of Science in the University in the summer of 1891. Professor Fitzgerald was president of section A of the British Association at its congress in Bath in 1888, and he held the position of examiner for London University in experimental sciences since 1888. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1883, and he acted as hon, secretary of the Royal Dublin Society between the years 1881 and 1889. He was always a notable exponent of reform in university education, and his views on the modernization of Trinity College, on the question of Roman Catholic university education, and on the higher education of women were urged with force and perseverance. In 1888 he was appointed a member of the Board of National Education, and a great part of his time was devoted to its important work. A few months ago Dr. Fitzgerald was appointed with five others to the Intermediate Education Board, and his cooperation and advice will be missed by his colleagues in the responsible work of reconstruction on which they are now engaged.
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A correspondent writes:
Professor Fitzgerald was recognized as being among the foremost men of his generation in physical science; the most ungrudgingly helpful to all other scientific men; looked up to by his contemporaries, not merely with respect, but with such genuine affection that this paragraph couveys not merely a news of disaster to the progress of science, but of a personal calamity to great men of science all over the world. He was the indefatigable helper of his students, a number of whom are Fellows of the Royal Society. He was the colleague and inspiring friend of all men who were trying to do good in the world, but more especially of men who were trying to help Irish industry and Trish education of all types In every department of applied science, in any kind of engineering, his advice was known to be valuable, and he was always ready to give it. His life was devoted to the interests of others in a whole-hearted way. He seemed perfectly unselfish, quite discerning to have his name honoured, and yet perfectly alive to his own worth. His friends in England did not realize that he was still unwell. It was thought advisable to perform an operation; this was successful, but he did not have sufficient strength to recover." The funeral will take place on Tuesday morning.
_________________________________________
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,
At a meeting of the Faculty of Science of the newly-constituted University of London, held this afternoon, the following resolution was unanimously adopted: "That this meeting of the Faculty of Science of the University of London, having heard with profound solace of the premature death of the Institute Professor George Francis FitzGerald, desires to place on record its high appreciation of his brilliant qualities as a man, as a scientist, as an investigator, and as a lender of scientific thought, and to express to his family its heartfelt sympathy under the calamity which has befallen science and many friends."
It is right that the public should be made acquainted with the position occupied by the late professor in the esteem of those best qualified to judge of his influence on the progress of physical sobriety; and all the more because, by reason of his own modesty, his name is less familiar to the world at large than the names of many others whose contributions to science have been less important. Professor FitzGerald was one of those unselfish souls who are willing to share their ideas with their friends, and to his inspiration many a scientific man owes a clarification and enlightenment of his own mind which is not always fully acknowledged. Trinity College loses a brilliant member of its professorial body, but Cambridge and London will feel the loss equally with his own university.
As evidence of his versatility and the respect in which his views were held by representatives of different branches of science, it may be mentioned that in 1896, at the invitation of the Chemical Society, he delivered the Helmholt Memorial Lecture before that society, a most memorable discourse, and in 1890 a Royal Medal was awarded to him by the Royal Society, chiefly in recognition of his achievements in the ___domain of radiation and electrical theory. In the words of the president, Lord Lister, on the occasion of presenting the medal, "His critical activity pervades an unbounded world, enlivened and enriched throughout by the fruits of a luxuriant imagination."
Alas! The verb must now be changed into the past tense.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
William A. Tilden,
Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of London,
February 26
