John Flavell Coales facts for kids
John Flavell Coales was a brilliant British scientist and engineer. He was born on September 14, 1907, and passed away on June 6, 1999. He is famous for his work with computers and automatic control systems.
Early Life and Wartime Work
John Coales studied at Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge University, and graduated in 1929. After college, he started working for the British Admiralty, which is like the British Navy.
During World War II, Coales did very important work. He helped develop radar technology. Radar uses radio waves to find things, like enemy ships or planes. His work on radar was especially useful for naval gunnery, helping ships aim their weapons better. For his efforts during the war, he received an award called the OBE in 1946.
A Pioneer in Computers and Control
In 1946, John Coales left the Admiralty. He then became the director of a new research laboratory for a company called Elliott Brothers in Borehamwood. This lab became a very important place for new inventions.
Coales was a true pioneer in using computers. He made big steps in something called automatic process control. This means making machines and systems run themselves without much human help. He was also one of the first people to use digital computers for real-time control. This is when computers make decisions and control things instantly, as they happen.
In 1957, he helped start a global group called the International Federation of Automatic Control. This group brings together experts from all over the world to share ideas about automatic control.
Awards and Recognition
John Coales received many honors for his amazing work.
- In 1970, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- In 1971, he was the President of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
- In 1974, he received an even higher award, becoming a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
John Coales married in 1936 and had two sons and two daughters. His contributions greatly advanced the fields of computing and engineering.
