John Samuel Forrest facts for kids

John Samuel Forrest (born August 20, 1907 – died November 11, 1992) was a smart Scottish scientist. He was a physicist, a writer, and a special professor at the University of Strathclyde. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.

Early Life and Learning

John Samuel Forrest was born in Hamilton, Scotland, on August 20, 1907. His father, Samuel Norris Forrest, was a math teacher and wrote textbooks. His father also taught at Glasgow Technical College, which later became the University of Strathclyde.

John went to Hamilton Academy school. He was a brilliant student there. He won several important awards for his achievements in math and science.

In 1925, he did very well in an exam to get into the University of Glasgow. He won a special scholarship to study Mathematics and Natural Philosophy (which is like physics).

While still a student, John began doing research. He earned more scholarships for his studies. In 1930, he graduated with two degrees in science. He studied both math and physics.

A Career in Electricity

After finishing university, John Forrest started working as a physicist. His first job was with the Central Electricity Board in Glasgow. The next year, in 1931, he moved to London.

In London, he worked on the new National Electricity Grid. This was a huge system to deliver electricity all over the country. He wrote his first paper about the Grid in 1931.

John continued to write important scientific papers. In 1935, he wrote about how 132 kV power line insulators worked in different weather. In 1941, another one of his papers won an award.

In 1942, John became a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society. This society studies weather. He even helped start a magazine called Weather. One of his own articles appeared in its first issue in 1946.

In 1945, John organized a meeting about how weather affects power systems. He kept writing scientific papers. In 1948, he earned a higher degree, a D.Sc., from Glasgow University.

He became the Director of the Central Electricity Research Laboratory. About 800 people worked there. In 1960, he gave an important lecture called the Hunter Memorial Lecture.

John was also chosen to lead the Supply Section of the Institution of Electrical Engineers from 1961 to 1962. In 1963, he gave the John Logie Baird Memorial Lecture. He also became the President of Section A of the British Science Association.

From late 1963 to early 1964, John gave many lectures called the Faraday Lectures. He spoke to about 35,000 people, including many high school students.

In 1964, he was invited to be a Visiting Professor at the new University of Strathclyde. By 1966, he was part of three study groups for a big international electricity conference. He became the chairman of the British committee for this group in 1972.

Also in 1966, John was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honors for a scientist in the UK. In 1972, he was elected to the Royal Society's Council. That same year, he received another honorary D.Sc. degree from Heriot-Watt University.

After Retirement

John Forrest retired in 1973. Even after retiring, he stayed very active. He visited Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria, giving lectures to their science academies.

In 1975, he went to Italy for a big meeting about geothermal energy. This is energy that comes from the Earth's heat. He was asked to lead the final part of the meeting.

In 1976, John visited the Japan Academy of Science with another Royal Society Fellow. They toured power stations and research centers. After that, he visited the Egyptian Academy.

He was one of the first members of the Royal Academy of Engineering, created in 1976. In 1977, he received an honorary fellowship from the The Institution of Engineering and Technology.

In 1979, John Forrest was chosen as a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 1990, he was named a Professor Emeritus at the University of Strathclyde.

John Samuel Forrest was a very important scientist and director. He was married to Ivy May Olding from 1940 to 1976 and they had one son. He remarried in 1985. John Forrest passed away on November 11, 1992.