Harold Roper Robinson facts for kids

Harold Roper Robinson (born November 26, 1889 – died November 28, 1955) was a brilliant physicist. He was also a very important leader in running universities later in his life. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.

Early Life and Education

Harold Roper Robinson was born in Ulverston, England, on November 26, 1889. He was the oldest of five children. His father worked in a lawyer's office. Harold went to local schools in Ulverston.

In 1908, Harold received a scholarship to study physics. He went to the University of Manchester. He earned his first degree (BSc) in 1911 and a master's degree (MSc) in 1912.

Serving in World War I

Harold's studies were stopped by the First World War. He joined the army in 1915. He served in France as an officer in the Royal Garrison Artillery. Later, he moved to the Royal Engineers. He helped with mapping during the war. He also worked with another famous scientist, Lawrence Bragg, on a technique called soundranging. This helped locate enemy guns.

Continuing His Studies

After the war, in 1920, Harold became an Assistant Director. He worked at the Physical Laboratory in Manchester. In 1923, he went to the University of Cambridge. There, he earned his PhD in 1924. After that, he moved to the University of Edinburgh. He became a Reader in physics there.

In 1925, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a special group for important scientists.

Career in Physics and University Leadership

In 1926, Harold became a professor for the first time. He taught at University College, Cardiff in Wales.

Groundbreaking Research

In 1929, Harold was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honors for scientists in the UK. The Royal Society recognized his important work. Before 1914, he studied Beta-rays and radioactivity. These are tiny particles and energy released from atoms.

He was also known for his work on X-rays. He studied how X-rays affect electrons. He developed new ways to study X-rays. These methods became very useful for understanding atoms. They also helped in chemical analysis. His work helped scientists figure out the most accurate values for atomic constants. These are basic numbers that describe atoms.

Later Roles and Awards

Harold Robinson was seen as one of the best scientists who worked with Ernest Rutherford. Rutherford was a very famous physicist.

In 1942, Harold gave the first Rutherford Memorial Lecture. This was a special talk in honor of Rutherford.

In 1946, Harold became the Vice-Principal of Queen Mary College. This meant he helped run the college. He decided to retire in 1953. However, he then took on an even bigger role. He became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London. He held this important position from 1954 to 1955.

Family Life

In 1920, Harold married Marjorie Eve Powell. She had studied economics. Sadly, Marjorie passed away in 1939. In 1940, Harold married Madeleine Symons. She was a well-known organizer for trade unions.