E. J. Bowen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edmund John Bowen
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Ted Bowen in DSc academic dress, Oxford (1977)
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| Born | 29 April 1898 Worcester, England
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| Died | 19 November 1980 (aged 82) Oxford, England
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| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
| Known for | The Chemical Aspects of Light, fluorescence |
| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society (1935) Davy Medal (1963) Liversidge Award (1965/66) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physical chemistry, photochemistry |
| Institutions | University College, Oxford |
| Doctoral advisor | Sir Harold Brewer Hartley |
| Doctoral students | Walter Metcalf |
Edmund John Bowen, known as Ted, was a British chemist. He studied how light affects chemicals, a field called photochemistry. He was born on April 29, 1898, and passed away on November 19, 1980.
Contents
Early Life and War Service
Ted Bowen was born in Worcester, England, in 1898. He was the oldest of four children. He went to the Royal Grammar School Worcester.
In 1915, he earned a special scholarship to study chemistry at the University of Oxford. After less than a year, he joined the army during World War I. He became an officer in the Royal Garrison Artillery. After the war ended in 1919, he returned to Oxford to finish his studies.
A Life in Chemistry Research
In 1922, Ted Bowen became a Chemistry Fellow at University College, Oxford. This meant he was a senior member of the college who taught and did research.
He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1935. This is a very important award for scientists. He earned it for his research into fluorescence. Fluorescence is when a substance absorbs light and then gives off light, like glow-in-the-dark materials. In 1963, he received the Davy Medal, another top science award.
Bowen wrote an important book called The Chemical Aspects of Light. This book explained how light interacts with chemicals. He also helped lead important science groups like the Faraday Society.
Much of Bowen's research happened at the Balliol-Trinity Laboratories in Oxford. He was very skilled at glass blowing. He made his own special glass equipment for his experiments. He even made art from glass! In 1965, he retired but continued to be involved with University College. He was a Fellow there for a total of 59 years. A room at the college is named after him.
Einstein's Blackboard
In 1931, Ted Bowen attended lectures by the famous scientist Albert Einstein in Oxford. After one lecture, he helped save a special blackboard that Einstein had used. This blackboard, covered in Einstein's notes, is now on display at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford.
Other Interests and Later Life
Besides chemistry, Bowen was also interested in geology, which is the study of Earth's rocks and history. He especially liked studying the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. An ancient sea creature, an ammonite, was named after him: Perisphinctes boweni. He also helped the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. He made a large scale model of the sun, earth, and moon for the museum.
Ted Bowen lived in Oxford for most of his life. He is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery. He was married to Edith and had a son, Humphry, who also became a chemist, and a daughter. He passed away in 1980 after a short illness.
Bowen Room
The room at University College that Ted Bowen used for many years was later named the 'Bowen Room' in his honor. It is still used by important members of the college. His old papers and research notes are kept at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford.
See also
- Humphry Bowen, his son, who was also a chemist
- Jonathan Bowen, his grandson, a computer scientist