Dill Faulkes

{{ Infobox person

| name = Martin C. "Dill" Faulkes

| image = Dill Faulkes 2018.png

| birth_date = 1944

}}

Martin C. "Dill" Faulkes (born 1944) is a British businessman.

Faulkes has a Special Mathematics degree from Hull University,{{Cite web |url=https://www.milne.hull.ac.uk/events/inspired-in-hull-with-dill-faulkes-from-hull-to-the-cosmos-maths-and-my-life-in-astrophysics/ |title=Inspired in Hull with Dill Faulkes – "From Hull to the Cosmos: Maths and My Life in Astrophysics" |website=www.milnehull.ac.uk |access-date=30 Oct 2023}} a PhD in mathematics from Queen Elizabeth College, London and did postdoctoral work in general relativity.

He then left academia and went into software. He worked for the company Logica, then SPL, which was bought by Systems Designers. He then invested money in a variety of software companies and made a lot of money on the flotation of Triad and the private sale of SmartGroups.com.

Philanthropy

He is chair of the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust{{Cite web |title=Trustees, THE DILL FAULKES EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED - 1070864, Register of Charities - The Charity Commission |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/3952627/trustees |access-date=30 Oct 2023| website=register-of-charities.charitycommission.org.uk |language=en}} which has made donations to a number of scientific causes including the Faulkes Telescope Project.

Faulkes contributed towards the building of Cambridge University's Centre for Mathematical Sciences and has the Faulkes Gatehouse and Faulkes Institute for Geometry named after him.{{cite web |title=Faulkes Institute for Geometry |url=https://www.cms.cam.ac.uk/faulkes-institute-geometry |access-date=30 Oct 2023 |website=www.cms.cam.ac.uk}}

Faulkes is a gliding enthusiast{{Cite web |last=Bloom |first=Adi |title=Only the good go gilding |url=https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/only-good-go-gliding |access-date=30 Oct 2023 |date=13 June 2003 |website=www.tes.co.uk |language=en}} having been part of Hull University's Flying Squadron as a student{{Cite web |title="A University must be a place of inclusiveness and tolerance" Dill Faulkes |url=https://hullalumni.me/2018/05/10/a-university-must-be-a-place-of-inclusiveness-and-tolerance-dill-faulkes/ |access-date=30 Oct 2023 |date=10 May 2018 |website=hullalumni.me |language=en}} and for a time subsidised "mini-lessons" for children in gliding via the Faulkes Flying Foundation.

His trust has also funded "Bell projects" including replacing the bells at Trinity Church (Manhattan).{{cite news |title=From 12 Ropes and Bells, a River of Sound Over Wall St. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/arts/music/05bells.html |first=Daniel |last=Wakin |date=4 Sep 2009 |access-date=30 Oct 2023}}

Honours and awards

Faulkes has been made an honorary fellow by some UK academic institutions such as the E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics at Hull University.{{cite web |url=https://www.milne.hull.ac.uk/#people |title=E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics |website=www.milnehull.ac.uk |access-date=30 Oct 2023}} and in 2017 at Cardiff University.{{cite web |url=https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/about/honorary-fellows/all-recipients/2017-honorary-fellows |title=2017 Honorary Fellows |website=www.cardiff.ac.uk |access-date=30 Oct 2023}} He subsequently returned a honorary doctorate awarded by the University of South Wales in protest at the university's decision to close its observational astronomy course.{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Gareth |date=9 Feb 2015 |title=Founder of Faulkes Telescope hits out at university's decision to close astronomy course |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/founder-faulkes-telescope-hits-out-8610598 |work=Wales Online |access-date=30 Oct 2023 }}

He has had an asteroid (47144 Faulkes) named after him.{{Cite web|last=Sherriff|first=Lucy|title=Asteroid named after Dill Faulkes|url=https://www.theregister.com/2004/07/26/asteroid_naming/|access-date=2021-02-19|website=www.theregister.com|language=en}}

References

External links

[http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=13853 Interview & biography]
[http://www.faulkes.com/ Faulkes Educational Trust]
[http://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/FIG/ Faulkes Institute of Geometry]
[http://www.faulkes-telescope.com/ Faulkes Telescope]
[http://www.fffoundation.co.uk/ Faulkes Flying Foundation]

Category:1944 births

Category:Living people

Category:British philanthropists