William Allman facts for kids
William Allman (1776–1846) was a very smart doctor who became a professor of botany in Dublin. Botany is the study of plants. He taught at Trinity College Dublin, which is a famous university.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Allman was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on February 7, 1776. When he was less than four years old, his family moved to Ireland. His mother was from a place called Waterford in Ireland.
He went to school in Waterford and then studied at Trinity College Dublin. He was a very good student and became a "Scholar" there, which means he was recognized for his excellent academic work. He earned several degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in 1796, a Master of Arts in 1801, and finally, a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 1804.
Career in Medicine and Botany
After finishing his studies, Dr. Allman worked as a doctor in a town called Clonmel. He practiced medicine there until 1809.
In 1809, he was chosen to be the Professor of Botany at Trinity College Dublin. This was a big step in his career! Soon after, he met another famous botanist named Robert Brown. They became very good friends and stayed friends for their whole lives.
Teaching New Ideas
Because of his friendship with Robert Brown, Dr. Allman started teaching about the "natural system" of plants in 1812. This was a new way of organizing and understanding plants based on how they are related to each other, rather than just how they look. He was the first professor in Britain and Ireland to teach this modern approach.
He continued to teach botany until 1844. After that, another Dr. George James Allman took over his position. William Allman passed away on December 8, 1846.
Important Works and Writings
Dr. Allman wrote several important papers and books about plants and mathematics.
One of his works was about the mathematical shapes of plant cells. He also wrote about how plants are related to each other. This was presented at a big meeting called the British Association in Dublin in 1835. Later, he expanded this work into a textbook for his students called 'Familiæ Plantarum' (which means 'Families of Plants').
His most famous book was 'Analysis per differentias constantes viginti...' published in London in 1828. This book helped people identify different types of plants found in Britain, France, and Switzerland. He also wrote about the mathematical connections between a plant's outside parts and its inside structure.
His Son, George Allman
William Allman had a son named George (1824–1904). George also became a very smart person. He was a mathematician, a scholar of ancient Greek, and a historian who studied the history of ancient Greek mathematics.
