Francis Patton Bretherton (6 July 1935 – 27 June 2021) was an applied mathematician and a professor emeritus of the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the

University of Wisconsin, Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

Early career

After graduating from

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, he worked in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) at the University of Cambridge from 1962–1969, progressing from senior assistant in research, to assistant director of research, to university lecturer. In 1964, he introduced the

Bretherton equation In mathematics, the Bretherton equation is a nonlinear partial differential equation introduced by Francis Bretherton in 1964: :u_+u_+u_+u = u^p, with p integer and p \ge 2. While u_t, u_x and u_ denote partial derivatives of the scalar field u ...

in applied mathematics. From 1969–1974, he was associated with the

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

, first as a professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, and then as chief scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Institute.

UCAR and NCAR

From 1973 to 1980, Bretherton was president of the

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is a US nonprofit consortium of more than 100 colleges and universities providing research and training in the atmospheric and related sciences. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmosph ...

in Boulder, Colorado. He was also director of the

National Center for Atmospheric Research The US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR ) is a US federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and funded by the National Science Foundatio ...

nearly concurrently, from 1974–1980. In 1980, he decided to return to scientific research studies, remaining at NCAR as a senior scientist. During that time he authored over 60 scientific papers.

SSEC and UW, Madison

Bretherton was director of the

Space Science and Engineering Center The Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) is a research and development center with primary focus on Earth science research and technology to enhance understanding of the atmosphere of Earth, the other planets in the Solar System, and the c ...

at the graduate school of the

from 1988–1999. During that time the center "expanded to add global change studies and management of climate data".

Awards and honors

Bretherton has received a number of honors and awards from institutions in both the UK and the US. In 1960 he received the Smiths Prize from the University of Cambridge; in 1960–1962, he was a Research Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge, and in 1962, he was a Fellow at King's College in Cambridge. In 1970, he was given the Buchan Prize from the

Royal Meteorological Society The Royal Meteorological Society is a long-established institution that promotes academic and public engagement in weather and climate science. Fellows of the Society must possess relevant qualifications, but Associate Fellows can be lay enthus ...

, and in 1971, he received the

World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Inter ...

, Research Award, Area IV. The

American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the premier scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance th ...

Clarence Leroy Meisinger Award and the American Meteorological Jule G. Charney Award were given to Dr. Bretherton in 1972 and 1982, respectively.Bretherton Named UCAR President
(5 October 1973). Information Release. UCAR

References

External links

OpenSky NCAR/UCAR Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bretherton, Francis 1935 births Academics of the University of Cambridge University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty Johns Hopkins University faculty 20th-century British mathematicians Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge Fluid dynamicists Living people