The Lord Flowers | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byNick Sinclair, 1991 | |
| Vice-Chancellor of the University of London | |
| In office 1985–1990 | |
| Preceded by | Randolph Quirk |
| Succeeded by | Stewart Sutherland |
| Member of theHouse of Lords | |
| Life peerage 20 February 1979 – 25 June 2010 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brian Hilton Flowers (1924-09-13)13 September 1924 Blackburn,Lancashire, England |
| Died | 25 June 2010(2010-06-25) (aged 85) |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Bishop Gore School |
| Alma mater | Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge |
Brian Hilton Flowers, Baron FlowersFRS (13 September 1924 – 25 June 2010[1][2]) was a British physicist, academician, and public servant.
The son of the Rev. Harold Joseph Flowers and Mrs Marian Flowers, Brian Hilton Flowers was born inBlackburn,Lancashire. He was educated inSwansea atBishop Gore School, where a teacher, Mr Foukes, encouraged his interest in physics. He went on to study atGonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated in physics and electronics.[1]
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Flowers worked on the Anglo-Canadian Atomic Energy ProjectTube Alloys atChalk River,Ontario from 1944 to 1946, then joined theAtomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) atHarwell, Oxfordshire until 1950 when he moved to the department ofmathematical physics at theUniversity of Birmingham.[1]
In 1952, he became the head of the Theoretical physics division at AERE, holding this post until 1958. At theUniversity of Manchester, he was Professor of theoretical physics from 1958 to 1961,Langworthy Professor of physics from 1961 to 1972 as well as chairman of theScience Research Council from 1967 to 1973. At theUniversity of London, he wasRector ofImperial College London from 1973 to 1985 and finally vice-chancellor of the university from 1985 to 1990. Between 1994 and 2001, he waschancellor of the University of Manchester.[1]
Flowers was chair of the Computer Board for Universities and Research Council from 1966 to 1970, member of theAtomic Energy Authority from 1971 to 1981, and president of theInstitute of Physics from 1972 to 1974. He was further chair of theRoyal Commission on Environmental Pollution from 1973 to 1976, president of theEuropean Science Foundation from 1974 to 1980, and president of the National Society for Clean Air from 1977 to 1979. Between 1978 and 1981, Flowers was chair of theCommission on Energy and the Environment; between 1979 and 1980, he was also chair of the University of London Working Party on future of medical and dental teaching resources; and between 1983 and 1985, he was chair of theCommittee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals.
He was also a member of the council of theAcademia Europaea from 1988 to 1991, governor ofMiddlesex University from 1992 to 2001 and chair of theCommittee of Enquiry into the Academic Year in 1992 and 1993. For theRoyal Postgraduate Medical School, he was member of the council and vice-chairman from 1990 to 1997. Between 1991 and 1995, Flowers was member of the Management Board of theLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and between 1994 and 1995, its chairman.
For theNuffield Foundation he was managing trustee from 1982 to 1998 and chairman from 1987 to 1998. During his chairmanship of the Nuffield Foundation, he played a significant role in the establishment by the Foundation of theNuffield Council on Bioethics in 1991.
From 1998, he was vice-chairman of theParliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). He was also a Founding Fellow of theLearned Society of Wales.
From 1951 until his death he was married to Mary Frances Behrens, and had two stepsons, Peter and Michael.[1] Lady Flowers died in January 2016 at the age of 94.[7]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Langworthy Professor at theUniversity of Manchester 1961–72 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Rector of Imperial College London 1973–85 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Vice-Chancellor of University of London 1985–90 | Succeeded by |
