Philip Dee facts for kids
Philip Ivor Dee (born April 8, 1904, in Stroud – died April 17, 1983, in Glasgow) was an English nuclear physicist. He was very important in developing special radar systems used in airplanes during World War II. The University of Glasgow later created the Philip Ivor Dee Memorial Lecture to honor him.
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Life and Discoveries
Philip Dee was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, on April 8, 1904. He was the second of three sons. His father, Albert John Dee, was a schoolmaster. Philip went to Marling School in Stroud.
He earned a scholarship to Sidney Sussex College at the University of Cambridge. In 1926, he graduated with a top degree in natural sciences. After university, he started working on research. He worked at the Cavendish Laboratory, a famous science lab.
In 1929, Philip Dee married Phyllis Elsie Tyte. They would later have two daughters.
Philip Dee became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941. This is a big honor for scientists. He also won the Hughes Medal in 1952 for his work.
World War II Contributions
During World War II, Philip Dee played a key role in the war effort. He first worked for the government department that made aircraft. In 1940, he moved to the Telecommunications Research Establishment.
Here, he led a team that created the Village Inn radar system. This system was used on airplanes to help detect enemy aircraft. It was a very important invention for the war.
After the War
After World War II ended in 1945, Philip Dee became a professor. He taught Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow.
He received special honors for his work. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1943. Then, in 1946, he became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
In 1946, he got money from the government for new research. He used this funding to build equipment to study particle physics. This is the study of the tiny particles that make up everything.
Because of his work, the University of Glasgow became a world leader in particle physics in the 1950s.
In 1946, Philip Dee was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He received the Society's Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize for his important work in nuclear physics.
He retired in 1972. In 1980, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Strathclyde.
Philip Dee passed away in Glasgow on April 17, 1983.
Artistic Recognition
A portrait of Philip Dee was painted in 1973 by Kathryn Kynoch. This painting is kept at the Hunterian Art Gallery.
Family Life
Philip Dee married Phyllis Elsie Tyte in 1929. Her father, George Williams Tyte, was a clockmaker. Philip and Phyllis had two daughters together.
Archives
Philip Ivor Dee's old papers and records are kept safe. You can find them at the Archives of the University of Glasgow (GUAS).
See also
- Telecommunications Research Establishment
- RAF Defford
- James Atkinson
