E. W. Middlemast
{{Short description|British mathematician and educator}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Edgar William Middlemast
| image = EWMiddlemast1.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = E. W. Middlemast, in 1915, as President of Indian Mathematical Society.
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1864|12|09}}
| birth_place = Wallsend, United Kingdom
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| known_for = Assisting Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan
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| occupation = mathematician, educationist
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Edgar William Middlemast (1864–1915) was a British mathematician and educator in India in the early twentieth century. He served as the Deputy Director of the Department of Public Instruction, Madras Presidency, as Professor of Mathematics at the Presidency College, Madras from 1910 and as Principal of the college in 1915.
Early life and education
Middlemast was born to Edward William Middlemast of Northumberland, a provision dealer, and his wife Margaret at Wallsend on 9 December 1864; he was baptised on 16 April 1865.{{cite book|title=Alumni Cantabrigienses: Abbas-Cutts. vol. II. Dabbs-Juxton. vol. III. Kaile-Ryves. vol. IV. Saal-Zuinglius Part 2, Volume 4 of Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students, Graduates and Holders of Office at the University of Cambridge, from the Earliest Times to 1900, John Venn|page=406|editor=John Venn|publisher=University of Cambridge Press|year=1954}} He had his schooling at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne and studied at St John's College, Cambridge between 1882 and 1886. Middlemast was placed tenth wrangler in the Mathematical tripos, Part I in 1886.{{Harvnb|Aiyangar|Berndt|Rankin|1995|p=7}}{{cite book|title=The Cambridge University calendar|publisher=University of Cambridge|page=1112|year=1905}}
Career
Middlemast was appointed Professor of the Madras Engineering College in September 1888 and served till March 1897, when he was appointed Principal of the Government Arts College, Rajahmundry.{{cite book|title=The India list and India Office list|publisher=Harrison and Sons|place=London|year=1905|page=567}}{{cite web|title=List of Regular Principals|publisher=Government College (Autonomous) Rajahmundry|url=http://www.govtcollegerjy.org/principallist.php|access-date=25 September 2011|archive-date=14 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814202217/http://govtcollegerjy.org/principallist.php|url-status=dead}} In July 1903, Middlemast was appointed Deputy Director of Public Instruction in the Madras Presidency. Middlemast was deputed to the Netherlands by the government in 1904, to review the education system in the country.{{cite web|title=India Office Records|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-lpj6_623-711&cid=-1#-1|publisher=National Archives, United Kingdom}} In July 1905, he was appointed fellow of Madras University.{{cite journal|title=The Eagle|volume=27–28|year=1906|page=118|publisher=W. Metcalfe}}
Middlemast was appointed Professor of Mathematics at the Presidency College, Madras in 1910,{{cite news|title=Legacy that does the Presidency College proud|work=The Hindu|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/14/stories/2005041413620300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050420010245/http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/14/stories/2005041413620300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 April 2005|date=14 April 2005}} and served as its Principal in 1915.{{cite web|title=Principals of the Presidency College, Chennai|url=http://www.presidencycollege.tn.gov.in/princi11.html|publisher=Presidency College, Chennai|access-date=25 September 2011|archive-date=2 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402224002/http://www.presidencycollege.tn.gov.in/princi11.html|url-status=dead}} He also served as an Inspector of schools from 1910 to 1915. Middlemast was the President of the Indian Mathematical Society in 1915.{{cite web|title=List of Office Bearers|url=http://www.indianmathsociety.org.in/officebearers.htm|publisher=Indian Mathematical Society|access-date=25 September 2011|archive-date=31 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231031950/http://www.indianmathsociety.org.in/officebearers.htm|url-status=dead}}{{Harvnb|Dauben|Parikh|2010|page=303}}
On 21 September 1911, Middlemast wrote a strong letter of recommendation for a then-unknown youth named Srinivasa Ramanujan, who was applying for the position of Clerk at the Madras Port Trust.
Edgar Middlemast died at Wrotham in Kent in July 1915.
Notes
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References
- {{citation|last1=Aiyangar|first1=Srinivasa Ramanujan|last2=Berndt|first2=Bruce C.|last3=Rankin|first3=Robert Alexander|title=Ramanujan: letters and commentary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Of5G0r6DQiEC&pg=PR9|accessdate=24 September 2011|year=1995|publisher=American Mathematical Soc.|isbn=978-0-8218-0470-4|page=7|bibcode=1995rlc..book.....B}}
- {{citation|last1=Dauben|first1=Joseph W.|last2=Parikh|first2=Rohit|title=Beginnings of modern mathematics in India|journal=Current Science|volume=99|issue=3|year=2010|pages=300–322|url=http://cs-test.ias.ac.in/cs/Downloads/article_id_099_03_0300_0322_0.pdf|access-date=11 October 2017|archive-date=12 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012080811/http://cs-test.ias.ac.in/cs/Downloads/article_id_099_03_0300_0322_0.pdf|url-status=dead}}
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Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Category:English mathematicians
Category:Academic staff of Presidency College, Chennai
Category:British people in colonial India
Category:Presidents of the Indian Mathematical Society