Person Duddell; William (1872 - 1917); electrical engineer Duddell William electrical engineer William Du Bois 1872 - 1917 British Male Westmoreland Place, Kensington, London, England 01 July 1872 18720701 Newlands House, 180 Tooting Bec Road, London, England 04 November 1917 19171104 Burial: Brighton, East Sussex, England

47 Hans Place, Knightsbridge, London, England; 36 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, England (1904)

Electrical engineer Electrical engineering Engineering Education: Privately educated in England; Collège Stanislas, Cannes. Career: Apprenticed to the firm of Davey, Paxman & Co. at Colchester (1890-1893); studied at the Central Technical College (later the City and Guilds College), South Kensington, London, under Professors William Edward Ayrton (FRS 1881) and Thomas Mather (FRS 1902), obtaining a Whitworth exhibition (1896); and a Whitworth scholarship (1897); developed many instruments including a fully engineered oscillograph, a vibration galvanometer; a thermos-ammeter; a twisted strip galvanometer, and a version of Einthoven’s string galvanometer; demonstrated his discovery that an arc connected across a capacitor and an inductor could oscillate (1901); died of general paralysis. Memberships: Röntgen Society (President 1907) Institution of Electrical Engineers (President 1912-1914) Commission Internationale de Télégraphie sans Fils (President 1914) Physical Society (VP and honorary treasurer) Awards/Medals: Paris Exhibition gold medal (1900) St Louis Exhibition (1904) Honours: CBE 1917 (posthumously) Parents: Frances Kate Du Bois, the identity of his father is unknown. Sister: Mrs Blanche Gladys Du Bois Colston. His major contributions included the oscillograph and the musical arc, and whilst they are no longer of any practical importance, they were crucial to the development of electrical engineering and wireless telegraphy. Medals and prizes: Hughes Medal 1912 Fellow 02/05/1907 35 William Thompson; William Crookes; William Heny Preece; Richard Threlfall; Charles Chree; Henry Capel Lofft Holden; Thomas Mather John Perry; William Edward Ayrton; Richard Tetley Glazebrook; James Swinburne; Horace Darwin; Joseph Wilson Swan; Hugh Longbourne Callendar; Oliver Lodge Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB Obituaries: Proc Roy Soc Series A 1917-1918 vol 94 pp xxxiv-xxxv, plate, signed by J S 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/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Duddell%2C+William https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH2515 1 Jul 1872 - 4 Nov 1917 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 03/04/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA6948 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes e81fb5e2-cd0e-4b96-ab24-51e4ce3642dc