Rosa M. Morris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosa Margaret Morris
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Rosa Morris in her garden, 1938
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| Born | 16 July 1914 Rogerstone, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom
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| Died | 15 October 2011 (aged 97) |
| Resting place | Churchyard of Bethesda Baptist Church, Rogerstone |
| Citizenship | British |
| Education | University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Awards | University of Wales Fellowship, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Senior Research Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Applied mathematics |
| Institutions | University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, Cardiff |
| Thesis | Two-dimensional potential theory, with special reference to aerodynamic problems (1940) |
| Doctoral advisors | George Henry Livens, Geoffrey Ingram Taylor |
| Doctoral students | David Edmunds |
Rosa Margaret Morris (born July 16, 1914 – died October 15, 2011) was a brilliant mathematician from Wales. She studied how things move through air (called aerodynamics) and how forces work in space (known as potential theory).
When she was just 23, her amazing research and test scores made headlines across the country! Later, she taught at what is now Cardiff University. She even helped write a very popular textbook called Mathematical Methods of Physics. She also became one of the first women to lead a mathematics department in the whole United Kingdom.
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Her Early Life and Education
Rosa was born in Rogerstone, Monmouthshire, Wales. She was the youngest child of John and Mary Aline Morris. Her father was a headmaster, and her mother was a schoolmistress. Both were teachers!
Rosa first went to Rogerstone School. Then, from 1926 to 1932, she attended Pontywaun County School. She was excellent in math, earning high marks in both pure and applied mathematics.
University Studies and Amazing Discoveries
Rosa went on to study mathematics at the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire in Cardiff. In 1936, she graduated with a top-level degree. She continued her studies there until 1938, working with her supervisor, George Henry Livens.
During this time, when she was only 23, Rosa published her first articles. These papers were about potential theory and aerodynamics. Her new way of solving problems was so good that it made national news!
A "Mathematical Genius"
Newspapers called Rosa a "mathematical genius." They said she had found a way to solve difficult problems in aerodynamics that no other mathematicians had figured out. People were very interested in her story.
She was also described as a "keen hockey player and accomplished dressmaker." The head of her university, Frederick Rees, even said that her exam results were so high, they had to make a special rule for her. This was to avoid making other students look bad by comparison! Her achievements were even reported in American newspapers.
Advanced Degrees and Fellowships
Rosa won scholarships worth a lot of money to study at Girton College, Cambridge. She was a special research student there. She also received a University of Wales Fellowship from 1938 to 1940. Another award was the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Senior Research Award from 1939 to 1941.
After three years of research, she earned her PhD from University of Cambridge in 1940. Her important thesis was about "Two-dimensional potential theory, with special reference to aerodynamic problems." Her advisor at Cambridge was Geoffrey Ingram Taylor.
Her Professional Career
After getting her PhD in 1940, Rosa Morris joined the faculty in Cardiff in 1941. She stayed there for her entire career. She helped guide David Edmunds with his PhD research in 1955. He later won a very important math award called the Pólya Prize.
Writing a Popular Textbook
Rosa worked with Roy Chisholm to write a textbook called Mathematical Methods in Physics. Even though it was a bit less strict than some other math books, it was reprinted many times. Roy Chisholm said it broke their publisher's record for technical books! They even made some money from it.
A Leader in Mathematics
In the 1970s, Rosa was a Reader in Fluid Dynamics. During this time, she became one of the first women to lead a mathematics department in the United Kingdom. She might even have been the very first woman to do so at a university!
Rosa was a member of several important math groups. These included the London Mathematical Society (starting in 1945) and the Mathematical Association. She was also a Fellow of the Cambridge Philosophical Society until 1983. She wrote many reviews for Mathematical Reviews, with 188 contributions to her name.
