Alexander David Ross
{{Short description|Scots-born physicist, mathematician and astronomer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
Prof Alexander David Ross FRSE FRAS FRSA FIP FAIP FEIS FEISA LLD (1883–1966) was a 20th-century Scots-born physicist, mathematician and astronomer living in Australia. He was an expert on magnetism and rare earths.{{Cite web | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/1463664?c=people | title=Ross, Alexander David (1883-1966) - People and organisations}} He was twice President of the Western Australia Astronomical Society: 1915 to 1917 and 1950 to 1952, 33 years apart.
Life
He was born in Glasgow on 7 September 1883 the son of David Ross DD, rector of the Church of Scotland Training College, and his wife Marion Johnston. The family lived at 17 Carnarvan Street in Glasgow.Glasgow Post Office Directory 1883 He was educated at the Church of Scotland Normal School and Glasgow High School. He took some courses at the University of London then matriculated at the University of Glasgow in 1902. He graduated MSc in Maths and Physics in 1906.{{Cite book | chapter-url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ross-alexander-david-8270 | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography| chapter=Ross, Alexander David (1883–1966)| publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University}} He was a Thomson Research Fellow and a Houldsworth Research Fellow, using the latter to spend two summers at the University of Göttingen in Germany.{{Cite book | chapter-url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ross-alexander-david-8270 | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography| chapter=Ross, Alexander David (1883–1966)| publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University}} From 1908 he lectured in Physics at Glasgow University.
In 1909 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Andrew Gray, William Jack, George Chrystal, and Cargill Gilston Knott.{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=13 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
In 1912 he emigrated to Australia to become Professor of Maths and Physics at the University of Western Australia in Perth. In 1914 he was awarded the Kelvin Medal for research.{{Cite journal |bibcode = 1967QJRAS...8..297.|title = Alexander David Ross (obituary)|journal = Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society|volume = 8|pages = 297|year = 1967}}
In the Second World War he was Consultant Physicist to the Royal Australian Navy.{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=13 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
He retired in 1952.
He died on 14 December 1966 at Albany, Western Australia.Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 1967
Family
In 1913 he married Euphemia Irvine.
References
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Category:Scientists from Glasgow
Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Category:Academic staff of the University of Western Australia
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
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