Reginald James | |
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| Born | Reginald William James (1891-01-09)9 January 1891 London, England |
| Died | 7 July 1964(1964-07-07) (aged 73) Cape Town, South Africa |
| Alma mater | St. John's College, Cambridge |
| Known for | Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition |
| Spouse | Annie Watson |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society[1] Polar Medal |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge University of Manchester University of Cape Town |
Reginald William JamesFRS[1] (9 January 1891 – 7 July 1964) was a British researcher and teacher of physics in England and South Africa.[2] He is best known for his service in theImperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1916, for which he was awarded the SilverPolar Medal.[3]
James was born on 9 January 1891 in London. After displaying adolescent skills as a maths prodigy, he was awarded a stipend to pursue studies inSt. John's College, Cambridge.
James signed on as an expedition physicist in the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by SirErnest Shackleton, which departed England on theEndurance in August 1914; James had expected to winter over at the expedition's projected base on theWeddell Sea but the ice-beset expedition vessel never made Antarctic landfall and, with the rest of the ship's company, James found himself acastaway. His journal of life on a Weddell Sea ice floe and onElephant Island survives.[3]
Upon the rescue of the men from Elephant Island in 1916, James found his country fightingWorld War I. He joined theRoyal Engineers, rising to the rank ofcaptain and performing tasks relating toartillery spotting on theWestern Front. With the coming of peace, James turned to academia at theUniversity of Manchester. He was a lecturer in 1919, a senior lecturer in 1921, and aReader in 1934. He specialised in problems ofX-ray crystallography.[3]
1936–1937 saw a change in James' personal and professional life. In the first year he married Annie Watson, and in the second year he changed institutions to theUniversity of Cape Town, which offered him the rank of professor. One of his MSc students there wasAaron Klug.[4] His professional career reached culmination in 1953–1957 when he served as Vice-Chancellor of the university. He was elected as a Fellow of theRoyal Society in 1955.[1][3]
James began the process of his retirement in 1958 and, beset by progressive cardiovascular disease, wound down his teaching duties over the following five years. He died inCape Town at age 73 on 7 July 1964, and was survived by three children.[3]
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| Preceded by John Allan | President of theManchester Literary and Philosophical Society 1935–37 | Succeeded by Robert Henry Clayton |
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| Preceded by | ActingVice-Chancellor of theUniversity of Cape Town 1956–1957 | Succeeded by |
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