Clifford H. Mortimer facts for kids

Clifford Hiley Mortimer (born February 27, 1911 – died May 11, 2010) was a British scientist. He was a zoologist, which means he studied animals. He was also an expert in hydrodynamics, which is the study of how liquids move. Clifford Mortimer was known for his amazing work with water.

About Clifford Mortimer's Life

Early Life and Education

Clifford Mortimer was born in a village called Whitechurch in Somerset, England. His father worked in printing, but he became blind when Clifford was young. His mother was a farmer's daughter. She grew vegetables to help the family. Clifford and his brother went to a special Quaker school.

Clifford loved learning about animals. He studied Zoology at Manchester University. He graduated in 1932. Then, he went to Berlin in Germany. There, he studied tiny water creatures called cladocerans. He earned his PhD degree in 1935. After that, he came back to Britain. He started working at the Lake Windermere Laboratory. This lab was part of the Freshwater Biological Association. They studied life in freshwater lakes and rivers.

Working During World War II

During World War II, Clifford Mortimer helped the British Navy. He was a civilian scientist. This means he was not a soldier. He studied how waves behaved in the ocean. This was very important for the war effort. He helped design special floating barriers. These barriers were used during the D-Day landings. They helped protect the ships.

Later Career and Research

After the war, Clifford continued his research. He studied waves in big lakes. He did a lot of work on Lake Michigan in the USA. From 1956, he led the Scottish Marine Biological Station. This station was in Millport, Scotland.

Clifford became a leader in his field. In 1970, he became President of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. This group studies lakes and oceans. A few years later, he led another big group. This was the International Association for Great Lakes Research. In 1966, he became a special professor. He worked at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also helped start a new research center there. It was called the Center for Great Lakes Studies.

Clifford Mortimer lived a long life. He passed away on May 11, 2010, when he was 99 years old.

Awards and Recognition

Clifford Mortimer received many important awards. In 1958, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in Britain.

In 1995, he received the A.C. Redfield Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognized his "lasting and substantive contributions". It meant he made huge and important discoveries. He helped many different areas of science. These included the study of water biology, chemistry, and physics. The award also honored his leadership. A special meeting was held to celebrate his achievements.

Family Life

In 1935, Clifford Mortimer married Ingeborg Closs. She was from Germany. They had two daughters together. Their names were Christine and Alison.