Person Maxwell; James Clerk (1831 - 1879); physicist Maxwell James Clerk physicist James Clerk Maxwell 1831 - 1879 British Male 14 India Street, Edinburgh, Scotland 13 June 1831 18310613 Cambridge, England 05 November 1879 18791105 Burial: Parton, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Physicist Mathematics Optics Physics Education: Educated privately at Glenlair Maxwell; Edinburgh Academy (1841); Edinburgh University; Peterhouse, Cambridge; Trinity College, Cambridge. BA (1854), MA Career: Shared Smith's Prize (1854) with Edward John Routh (FRS 1872); Professor of Natural Philosophy, Marischal College, Aberdeen (1856); Professor of Natural Philosophy, King's College, London (1860-1865); Professor of Experimental Physics, Cambridge (1871); died of cancer (1879). Awards/Medals: Smith's Prize (1854) Adams Prize (1857) Keith Medal (1869–71). Parents: John Clerk, who assumed the name Maxwell on inheriting an estate in Kircudbright, and Frances, daughter of Robert Clay of Charlton, Northumberland. Great-grandson: Sir John Clerk (FRS 1729) Uncle: Sir George Clerk (FRS 1819) Cousin: Henry Clerk (FRS 1848) Spouse: Katherine Mary Dewar (1824–1886), daughter of the Principal of Marischal College, Aberdeen (1858). Remembered for his classical theory of electromagnetic radiation. Remembered for the Maxwell equations for electromagnetism. His discoveries laid the foundation for fields such as special relativity and quantum mechanics. Medals and prizes: Rumford Medal 1860 Lectures: Bakerian 1866 Fellow 06/06/1861 30 Charles Babbage John Barlow Archibald Smith Charles Wheatstone William Whewell George Murray Humphry Adam Sedgwick Charles Cardale Babington James Challis William Hopkins Charles Brooke Edward William Brayley William Clark Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB Authority: Birth date verified from the Parochial Records by Professor Bolton (Sep 1977), and confirmed by DSB entry. Obituaries: Proc Roy Soc 1881-1882 vol 33 pp i-xvi References: J S Rowlinson, 'Energy in the 19th Century', review of Crosbie Smith, The Science of Energy. A Cultural History of Energy Physics in Victorian Britain in NR 1999 vol 53 pp 281-282 Sir Brian Pippard, 'Genius in Context', review of P M Harman, The Natural Philosophy of James Clerk Maxwell in NR 1999 vol 53 pp 279-281, plate Frank A J L James, 'Maxwell's Early Career', review of P M Harman, The Scientific Letters and Papers of James Clerk Maxwell. Vol 1. 1846-1862 in NR 1991 vol 45 pp 266-270 Gillian Beer, 'Translation or Transformation? The Relations of Literature and Science' in NR 1990 vol 44 pp 81-99 T M Charlton, 'An Extension of Maxwell's Theory of Pin-Jointed Frameworks by M W Crofton, FRS' in NR 1989 vol 43 pp 53-56 P M Harman, 'Newton to Maxwell: the Principia and British Physics' in NR 1988 vol 42 pp 75-96 C Domb, 'James Clerk Maxwell in London 1860-1865' in NR 1980 vol 35 pp 67-103 H C Bolton and W C Price, 'The Date of Birth of James Clerk Maxwell' in NR 1977-8 vol 32 pp 213-214 J G O'Hara, 'George Johnstone Stoney, FRS, and the Concept of the Electron' in NR 1974-5 vol 29 pp 265-276 R V Jones, 'James Clerk Maxwell at Aberdeen 1856-1860' in NR 1973-4 vol 28 pp 57-81, plate Otto Mayr, 'Victorian Physicists and Speed Regulation: An Encounter Between Science and Technology' in NR 1971 vol 26 pp 205-228 T M Charlton, 'Maxwell, Jenkin and Cotterill and the Theory of Statically-Indeterminate Structures' in NR 1971 vol 26 pp 233-246 William P D Wightman, 'Aberdeen University and the Royal Society' in NR 1954-55 vol 11 pp 145-158 Derek J Price, 'The Cavendish Laboratory Archives' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 139-147 Graeme Gooday, 'A Victorian scientist and engineer', review of Gillian Cookson and Colin Hempstead, 'Fleeming Jenkin and the birth of electrical engineering' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 265-266 K K Schwarz, 'Faraday and Babbage' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp367-381 J S Rowlinson, 'Le Sage's Essai de chymie mechanique' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 35-45 J S Rowlinson, 'The work of Thomas Andrews and James Thomson on the liquefaction of gases' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 143-159 J S Rowlinson, 'Gases and liquids. How fluids unmix: discoveries by the school of Van der Waals and Kamerlingh Onnes, by J L Sengers' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 255-256 B Pippard, 'A paragon of physics. <i>The man who changed everything - the life of James Clerk Maxwell</i> by Basil Mahon' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 103-104 Maxwell P0183.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/rspl.1881.0061 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Maxwell%2C+James+Clerk RCN 15340 RCN 54937 RCN 54938 RCN 54410 RCN 15341 RCN 11311 RCN 10451 RCN 13020 RCN 54935 RCN 32611 https://pictures.royalsociety.org 13 Jun 1831 - 5 Nov 1879 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 18/09/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA8259 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/64037507 08f0e125-665c-4acd-860c-6fdecd6a9b69