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Blue plaque honour for two Yorkshire scientists
Posted on 20 August 2009
On 16th July 2009, the Institute of Physics (IoP), the professional body for physicists celebrated the contribution to science of two famous names from the Yorkshire region. The Yorkshire Branch of the IoP, which has strong participation from staff in the Department of Physics, led the effort to produce blue plaques in their honour.
We are proud to celebrate the contribution to science of two famous Yorkshiremen.
Dr David Jenkins
Dr David Jenkins from the Department of Physics and Chair of the Yorkshire Branch of the IoP was master of ceremonies at the unveiling of a blue plaque in the honour of Thomas Cooke, a famous telescope maker of the 19th century who was born in the village of Allerthorpe near Pocklington. The President of the IoP, Professor Jocelyn Bell-Burnell DBE unveiled the plaque situated on Allerthorpe Village Hall. Martin Lunn MBE, curator of astronomy at the Yorkshire Museum in York who looks after a historic telescope built by Cooke situated in the Museum Gardens in York made a short address on Cooke’s life and work. The initiative for the plaque came about as a collaboration between the IoP Yorkshire Branch, particularly Chris Walker (Honorary Treasurer and member of Department of Electronics) and Allerthorpe Parish Council. A number of present and retired staff from the Department of Physics were present at this event.
Later that afternoon, a blue plaque was unveiled at Bingley Grammar School in the honour of Sir Fred Hoyle (b. 1915 – d. 2001), a noted physicist and astronomer who was educated there. Hoyle made many very important contributions to science including predicting the mechanism by which carbon was formed in stars – the key to life on earth. He was Plumian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge for many years. The initiative for this blue plaque came from Dr Richard de Grijs, Reader in Astrophysics at the University of Sheffield, who is the Sheffield representative on the IoP Yorkshire Branch Committee.Dr David Jenkins, Chairman of the Yorkshire Branch of the Institute of Physics said, “We are proud to celebrate the contribution to science of two famous Yorkshiremen. Blue plaques are a fitting way to draw attention to these important names and their strong connections with our locality. We hope they will serve to inspire the next generation of young scientists."