John Angus Erskine (28 January 1873, Invercargill – 27 April 1960, Melbourne) was a New Zealand educated physicist, electrical engineer, benefactor and chess master. Born in Invercargill, he was a son of Robert Erskine, who migrated from Scotland to Southland, New Zealand, at the age of 16. Jack was educated at South School, and became the first Southland youth to win a Junior Scholarship to the University of New Zealand in 1890. The next year, he chose to enrol at Canterbury College. He passed his final B.A. exams in 1893. With the start of the new term in April 1894, Ernest Rutherford and J.A. Erskine applied to use a basement room in which to carry out electrical experiments. It was here that Erskine investigated the magnetic screening of high-frequency oscillations by various metals, an offshoot of Rutherford's pioneering work. Results of his research appeared in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute in 1895. In 1896 Erskine won an

1851 Exhibition Scholarship The 1851 Research Fellowship is a scheme conducted by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 to annually award a three-year research scholarship to approximately eight "young scientists or engineers of exceptional promise". The fellowship ...

and opted to study in Berlin at the

Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat The Humboldt University of Berlin (german: link=no, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick Willi ...

. In 1897, he and Rutherford holidayed together in Germany and year 1897 and part of 1898 Erskine was at the University of Leipzig. He then moved to London and spent 1899 and 1900 there, attending classes at University College and translating German works into English. He took 11th place in the

London 1899 chess tournament The London 1899 chess tournament was a chess tournament held in London. Players of the tournament included old champion Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker, the latter of which won the tournament. The organizing committee was headed by Sir George ...

(second section won by Frank James Marshall). Erskine returned to New Zealand, to shortly work as a boiler stoker, and then began working in industry, in the United States (1903–1904), and Australia (1905–1920). After 1920 he worked as a private consultant in Melbourne. He twice won

New Zealand Chess Championship The New Zealand Chess Championship was first conducted in 1879. Note: Up until 1934 foreign players were eligible for the title. The eligibility rules were changed in 1935 to preclude this; John Angus Erskine (twice champion in 1929 and 1935) was ...

at Wellington 1928/29 (with a 100% score: 8/8) and Christchurch 1934/35.

Erskine Fellowship

Erskine bequeathed his estate to the University of Canterbury to be held in trust to fund international exchanges of academic staff. Each year, approximately 70 Erskine fellows travel to Christchurch for periods of up to three months (with travel and per diem allowance funded) and between 18 and 25 Canterbury academics are funded to travel to overseas institutions.

References

External links

Erskine's 1895 paper to the Royal Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, Jack 1873 births 1960 deaths New Zealand chess players Australian chess players University of Canterbury alumni