Person Schuster; Sir; Arthur (1851 - 1934); physicist Schuster Arthur Sir physicist 1851 - 1934 British Male Frankfurt am Main, German Confederation, Germany, Europe 12 September 1851 18510912 Yeldall, near Twyford, Berkshire, England 14/10/1934 19341014 Burial: Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

St John's College, Cambridge (1878); Yeldall, Twyford, Buckinghamshire (after retirement)

physicist Terrestrial magnetism Atmospheric science Meteorology Astronomy Optics Physics Applied mathematics Education: elementary school (1856); Frankfurt Gymnasium (1863–8); Geneva; Owen's College, Manchester; Heidelberg. PhD (Heidelberg) Career: Wages clerk in Schuster Brothers; attended Henry Enfield Roscoe’s (FRS 1863) evening classes in chemistry at Owens College; took mathematics under Thomas Barker and physics under Balfour Stewart (FRS 1862), and began research with Roscoe on the spectra of hydrogen and nitrogen (1871); returned to Owens as an unpaid demonstrator in physics (1887); worked with Wilhelm Eduard Weber (FRS 1850) in Göttingen and Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (FRS 1860) in Berlin; returned to England and invited to lead an expedition to Bangkok to photograph the coronal spectrum during the total solar eclipse of 6 April 1875 and whilst this was not entirely successful, he later participated in similar expeditions to Colorado (1878) and to Egypt (1882) and to the West Indies (1886); returned to Owens and lectured on James Clerk Maxwell's (FRS 1861) Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism (1875); following Maxwell’s death, he worked with John William Strutt (FRS 1873) to obtain a more accurate value of the standard ohm as a unit of electrical resistance (1879); appointed professor of applied mathematics at Owens (1881); succeeded Stewart as professor of physics (1888); continued research which he had begun at Cambridge on low-pressure electrical discharge in gases (1883); his experimental work had broadened into electrochemistry, optics, and X-radiography (1896); used the mathematical technique of harmonic analysis to disprove C. G. Knott's claim of periodicity in earthquake occurrences (1897); developed the periodogram (1897–8); Professor of Physics, University of Manchester (1888-1907); much of his later fame was associated with Ernest Rutherford (FRS 1903), who succeeded him as Langworthy Professor (1907); elected to both the United States National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society (1913); bought Yeldall Manor at Hare Hatch near Wargrave in Berkshire (1912). Honours: Kt 1920 Awards/Medals: White Elephant of Siam (1880) Memberships: FRAS President, British Association (1915) Parents: Francis Joseph Schuster of Kensington and Marie Pfeiffer of Stuttgart naturalised British (1875) daughter of Hofrath Max Pfeiffer, banker, of Stuttgart. Siblings: Ernest became a Kings Counsel specializing in International Law, and Felix, later Sir Felix Schuster Bart. Sister Paula married Sir Lawrence Jones, Bsrt. Spouse: Emma Caroline Elizabeth (known as Cary; 1867–1962), eldest of the four daughters of George Loveday of Wardington, Oxfordshire, and niece of Sir A W Ward who was a Professor and later Principal of Owen's college from 1866-1897, and subsequently Master of Peterhouse. Children: One son and four daughters. Nephew: Edgar Schuster (1897–1969), the first Galton Fellow of Eugenics at University College London. Carried out important work on the discharge of electricity through gases, in meteorology, in terrestrial magnetism, and on the mathematical theory of periodicity. Remembered for his periodogram analysis. The first to photograph the spectrum of the solar corona. Responsible for introducing meteorology as a university subject in the United Kingdom. The University of Manchester's Schuster Laboratory, home to the School of Physics and Astronomy is named after him. Royal Society roles: Sec 1912-1919; For Sec 1920-1924; VP 1919-1920, 1922-1924 Medals and prizes: Royal Medal 1893; Rumford Medal 1926; Copley Medal 1931 Lectures: Bakerian 1884 and 1890 Contributed generously to the funds of the Royal Society. Following the outbreak of World War I, Schuster faced anti-German prejudice from certain Fellows of the Royal Society, namely Henry Edward Armstrong (FRS 1876), Alfred Barnard Basset (FRS 1889) and Edwin Ray Lankester (FRS 1875) Fellow 12/06/1879 28 James Clerk Maxwell; James Prescott Joule; Henry Enfield Roscoe; Carl Schorlemmer; Osborn Reynolds; William Thomson; Joseph Norman Lockyer; William Huggins; Edward Frankland; John Hall Gladstone; James Whitbread Lee Glaisher; Frederick Guthrie Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB Obituaries: Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 1932-1935 vol l pp 409-423, plate, by G C Simpson References: A G Cock, 'Chauvinism and Internationalism in Science: The International Research Council, 1919-1926' in NR 1982-83 vol 37 pp 249-288 Lawrence Badash, 'British and American Views of the German Menace in World War I' in NR 1979-80 vol 34 pp 91-121 Peter Alter, 'The Royal Society and the International Association of Academies 1897-1919' in NR 1979-80 vol 34 pp 241-264 Schuster_RS8358.jpg ©The Royal Society International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.1935.0006 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Schuster%2C+Arthur RCN 13347 RCN 12904 RCN 13348 RCN R62956 RCN R62957 RCN R61333 RCN R62958 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH7571 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/image-rs-8358 12 Sep 1851 - 14 Oct 1934 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 13/03/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA6483 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 02/04/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/64780994 5322298a-4f94-46b7-97d8-2ec8c19b2d59