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NEW PROFESSOR FOR NEW ZEALAND.

A DISTINGUISHED SCHOLASTIC CAREER. [from ora owx gobbespoxdent:] London, January 3. Mb. David K. Pickex, who has been appointed to the professorship of mathematics at Victoria College, Wellington, was educated at Allan Glen's school, Glasgow, and the science training he received there determined to some extent the main Hue of his academic work. This school was, and I believe still is, the foremost science high school in the United Kingdom. It was possible there for the pupils to obtain a splendid training, of which the groundwork was mathematics, physical science, and chemistry. Insufficiency of classical work handicapped the pupils on their entrance into the arts faculty at the University, but the value of their earlier training soon told. At the University of Glasgow, while endeavouring to widen -his basis of culture, Mr. Picken gradually took the . foremostplace in mathematics (pure and applied) among the men ,of -his time. ,He gained prizes in all his classes of mathematics, natural philosophy, and, in particular, he was first prizeman in Lord Kelvin's class of higher applied mathematics in the last year that that recently deceased brilliant scientist occupied the chair of natural philosophy. By that time Mr. Picken was easily first in the subjects of his honours group.' In qualifying for graduation as M.A. with first-class honours, in October, 1899, Mr. Picken was awarded the Metcalfe fellowship, and by the aid of this it was possible for him to continue his mathematical studies in the University of Cambridge. In 1899 he went into residence at Jesus College, and was elected to a foundation scholarship in his first year. At Cambridge most of. his work was earned on under the care of two men who were, curiously, both senior wranglers in the same yearone in January and one in June, the year that the date was changed— Welsh, of Jesus College, and Mr. Herman, of Trinity College. At the end of Mr. Picken's first year at the University he won the Ferguson mathenKitical scholarship. In the mathematical tripos, part 1, of 1902, he was sixth wrangler, and, on the advice of his tutors, he proceeded to specialise on a branch of applied mathematics towards part 2 of this tripos. _ During his year of preparation the position of chief assistant to the professor of mathematics at Glasgow University fell vacant, and Mr. Picken was asked to fill it, and after considerable deliberation he came to the determination not to lose such an exceptional opportunity of getting into good, teaching work. Since ho has been a lecturer at Glasgow, Mr. Picken has taken an active part in the work of the Edinburgh Mathematical Societythe only society of its kind in existence in Scotland — he was editor of the Proceedings for two sessions, and he has just been elected vice-president. In the ordinary course he would, at the next election, have become president had he remained in Scotland. Mr. Picken has been a regular contributor to the Proceedings, with articles of varied character. The main lino of his recent writings has been that Of the theorems fundamental to "Higher Mathematics" (so-called). A series of articles by Mr. Picken has been appearing in recent numbers of the Mathematical Gazette, which is the organ of the Mathematical Association. He is a contributor to other periodicals as well, and is a member of the Glasgow Union branch of the Fabian Society. It is very probable that portions of the long vacations in New Zealand will he devoted by Mr. Picken to making ready for the publication of a great deal of matter that lias been collecting round his work with the classes at Glasgow, through the huge classes there and the work with them spreading over nine months of the year. Professor Picken has an interest in some branches of sport, as well as in deep study, for while at school in Glasgow, and later on at the Glasgow University, he used the gymnasium, and while at Cambridge he represented his college in a minor capacity at rowing during the winters, and at lawn tennis during the summer months. He is the possessor of a lengthy list of testimonials from men of eminence in the world of learning, notably from: Lord -Kelvin, Dr. Donald MacAfister (principal of the Glasgow University), Dr. William Jnck (professor of mathematics in the University of Glasgow), Dr. Andrew Gray (professor of natural philosophy in the University of Glasgow), Professor Archibald Barr (of the engineering department of the University of Glasgow), the Rev. H. A. Morgan, M.A., D.D., (master of Jesus College, Cambridge), Mr. P. Pinkerton, M.A., (examiner in mathematics for degrees in the University of Glasgow, and head of the mathematical department, George Watson's College, Edinburgh), and many others. Altogether Professor Picken, who is still quite young, has had a very brilliant scholastic career. He will be accompanied to New Zealand by his wife, who is an M.A. of the University of Glasgow. ,

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19080213.2.101

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 7

Word Count
823

NEW PROFESSOR FOR NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 7

NEW PROFESSOR FOR NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 7