George Alexander Carse

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

RSSA (20 June 1880 – 20 August 1950) was a leading Scottish physicist and educationalist. In 1925, he was the first Mitchell Lecturer.

Life

Carse was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

on 20 June,, the first child of George Carse, a decorator from

Duns Duns may refer to: * Duns, Scottish Borders, a town in Berwickshire, Scotland ** Duns railway station ** Duns F.C., a football club ** Duns RFC, a rugby football club ** Battle of Duns, an engagement fought in 1372 * Duns Scotus ( 1265/66–1308) ...

, and his wife, Jane. The family lived at 120 Lauriston Place, located south-west of the city center. In 1891, he attended

George Heriot’s School George Heriot's School is a Scottish independent primary and secondary day school on Lauriston Place in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In the early 21st century, it has more than 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff, and 80 non-teaching staf ...

and was the school dux in 1898. Carse was awarded a place at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

to study mathematics under Professor George Chrystal and physics under Professor Peter Tait. Carse graduated in 1903, and received a doctorate in 1908, having attended

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...

from 1904 to 1907 (working at the

Cavendish Laboratory The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, and is part of the School of Physical Sciences. The laboratory was opened in 1874 on the New Museums Site as a laboratory for experimental physics and is named ...

). In November 1904, he was elected as a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

, his main proposer being Professor George Chrystal. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Carse served in the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Britis ...

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...

. Carse spent the majority of his working life lecturing in physics at the University of Edinburg. He retired in 1948. He was an office bearer in several non-academic roles in the University, mainly concerning university finances. Carse served as the Vice President to the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, in 1935/36 and 1946/47, respectively. He died in

on 20 August 1950. His RSE obituary was written by

Arthur Melville Clark Arthur Melville Clark FRSE (20 August 1895 – 21 March 1990) was a Scottish educationalist and author of several academic books about English literature and poetry. Life He was born in Edinburgh on 20 August 1895 the son of Margaret Moyes (née ...

Other positions held

*Convener of Foundation Committee, University of Edinburgh *Governor, Edinburgh and East of Scotland College of Agriculture *Governor, Heriot-Watt College

Publications

*''Notes on Practical Physics for Junior Students'' (1926)

References

1880 births 1950 deaths Scientists from Edinburgh People educated at George Heriot's School Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish physicists {{Scotland-scientist-stub