View source for Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy

{{Short description|Professorship at Cambridge University}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
The '''Plumian chair of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy''' is one of the major [[List of Professorships at the University of Cambridge|professorships]] in [[Astronomy]] at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge University]], alongside the [[Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry|Lowndean Professorship]] (which is now mainly held by mathematicians). The chair is currently held at the [[Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge|Institute of Astronomy]] in the University. The Plumian chair was founded in 1704 by [[Thomas Plume]], a member of [[Christ's College, Cambridge|Christ's]] and [[Archdeacon of Rochester]], to "erect an Observatory and to maintain a studious and learned Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, and to buy him and his successors utensils and instruments quadrants telescopes etc."

Trustees were appointed, and statutes drawn up by [[Isaac Newton]], [[John Flamsteed]] and [[John Ellys (Caius)|John Ellys]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Joseph Edleston|author2=Sir Isaac Newton|author3=Roger Côtes|title=Correspondence of Sir Isaac Newton and Professor Cotes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZKvELMOlOoC&pg=PR74|access-date=30 May 2013|year=1850|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-7146-1597-4|page=lxxiv note 158}}</ref> The first Professorship was awarded in 1706 to [[Roger Cotes]], a former student of Newton, and the [[stipend]] was increased in 1768 by Dr Robert Smith, the second Plumian Professor.

==Plumian Professors==
# [[Roger Cotes]] (1706–1716)<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle=Cotes, Roger |volume=12  |last=Clerke |first=Agnes Mary |authorlink=Agnes Mary Clerke}}</ref>
# [[Robert Smith (mathematician)|Robert Smith]] (1716–1760)<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle=Smith, Robert (16891768) |volume=53 |last=Courtney |first=William Prideaux |author-link=H. F. Baker}}</ref>
# [[Anthony Shepherd]] (1760–1796)<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle=Shepherd, Antony |volume=52 |last=Baker |first=Henry Frederick |author-link=H. F. Baker}}</ref>
# [[Samuel Vince]] (1796–1821)<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle=Vince, Samuel |last=Clerke |first=Agnes Mary |authorlink=Agnes Mary Clerke |volume=58}}</ref>
# [[Robert Woodhouse]] (1822–1827)<ref>{{cite journal |last=Phillips |first=Christopher |date=2006 |title=Robert Woodhouse and the Evolution of Cambridge Mathematics |journal=[[History of Science (journal)|History of Science]] |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=69–93 |doi=10.1177/007327530604400104 |s2cid=162375713 |quote=In addition to holding the Lucasian Chair from 1820 to 1822, Woodhouse was the Plumian Professor from 1822 to 1827 and the first director of the Cambridge Observatory when it opened in 1824.}}</ref>
# [[George Biddell Airy]] (1828–1835)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Turner |first1=H. H. |author-link=Herbert Hall Turner |date=1892 |title=George Biddell Airy |department=Obituary notice |journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]] |volume=52 |issue=4 |pages=212–229 |doi=10.1093/mnras/52.4.212 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
# [[James Challis]] (1836–1882)<ref>{{cite ODNB |last1=Clerke |first1=A. M. |last2=Wilson |author-link1=Agnes Mary Clerke |first2=David B. |id=5024 |title=Challis, James (1803–1882), astronomer and physicist |date=19 May 2011}}</ref>
# [[George Darwin]] (1883–1912)<ref>{{cite ODNB |last=Kushner |first=David |id=32718 |title=Darwin, Sir George Howard (1845–1912), mathematician and geophysicist |date=28 May 2015}}</ref>
# [[Arthur Eddington]] (1913–1944)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Spencer Jones |first1=H. |last2=Whittaker |first2=E. T. |date=1945 |title=Arthur Stanley Eddington |department=Obituary notice |journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]] |volume=105 |issue=2 |pages=68–79 |doi=10.1093/mnras/105.2.68 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
# [[Harold Jeffreys]] (1946–1958)<ref>{{cite journal |last=Cook |first=Alan |date=1990 |title=Sir Harold Jeffreys, 2 April 1891 – 18 March 1989, Elected F.R.S. 1925 |journal=[[Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society]] |volume=36 |pages=302–333 |jstor=770090}}</ref>
# [[Fred Hoyle]] (1958–1972)<ref>{{cite news |date=22 August 2001 |title=Professor Sir Fred Hoyle |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1338125/Professor-Sir-Fred-Hoyle.html |department=Obituary |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |publication-place=London |access-date=11 September 2019}}</ref>
# [[Martin Rees]] (1973–1991)<ref>{{cite news |last=Radford |first=Tim |date=2 December 2005 |title=Martin Rees |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2005/dec/02/highereducationprofile.research |department=Profile |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |publication-place=London |access-date=11 September 2019}}</ref>
# [[Richard Ellis (astronomer)|Richard Ellis]] (1993–2000)<ref>{{cite archive |first=Heidi |last=Aspaturian |item=Interview with Richard Ellis |item-url=http://oralhistories.library.caltech.edu/234/ |type=Oral History |item-id=234 |date=January–February 2014 |collection=Oral History Project |repository=Archives |institution=California Institute of Technology |location=Pasadena, California |access-date=11 September 2019}}</ref>
# [[Jeremiah Ostriker]] (2001–2003)<ref>{{cite journal |title=Elections |url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2000-01/weekly/5849/6.html |journal=[[Cambridge University Reporter]] |issue=5849 |date=6 June 2001 |access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref>
# [[Robert Kennicutt]] (2006–2017)<ref>{{cite journal |title=Elections, appointments, and reappointments |url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2005-06/weekly/6023/10.html |journal=[[Cambridge University Reporter]] |issue=6023 |date=18 January 2006 |access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Professors |url=https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2006-07/special/04/officers_2006_i.pdf |series=Special numbers |journal=[[Cambridge University Reporter]] |volume=136 |issue=4, ''Officers Number – Michaelmas Term 2016'' |page=3 |date=3 November 2006 |access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref>
# [[Christopher S. Reynolds]] (2017–)<ref>{{cite journal |title=Elections, appointments, reappointments, and grants of title |url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2016-17/weekly/6461/section2.shtml#heading2-10 |journal=[[Cambridge University Reporter]] |issue=6461 |page=447 |date=20 April 2017 |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref>

==Sources==
*R. A. Doe & C. C. Thornton, ''Dr Thomas Plume, 1630–1704. His life and legacies in Essex, Kent and Cambridge'', University of Hertfordshire Press, 2020

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, Plumian, Cambridge}}
[[Category:Plumian Professors of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy| ]]
[[Category:Professorships at the University of Cambridge|Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, Plumian]]
[[Category:Faculty of Physics and Chemistry, University of Cambridge]]
[[Category:Physics education in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1704 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Professorships in astronomy|Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, Plumian, Cambridge]]