250px John Watt Butters

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 ...

FRSGS (1863–1946) was a Scottish mathematician who served as Rector of

Ardrossan Academy Ardrossan Academy is a Scottish secondary school, opened in October 1882, serving Ardrossan, with pupils also coming from nearby Saltcoats, West Kilbride, Seamill, Fairlie, Largs and other areas. Notable alumni * June Andrews, nursing ex ...

from 1899 to 1928.

Early life and education

He 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 ...

in 1863, the son of Isabella Watt and John Butters, a tailor. His early education was at the Old High School in Edinburgh. Attending

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 ...

from 1871 to 1876, his headmaster engendered a strong love of mathematics in him, and in later school years allowed him to act as a pupil-teacher, to younger pupils. Initially studying to be a minister at the Established Free Church College, in conjunction with studies 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 ...

, his interests returned fully to mathematics and he graduated MA with First Class Honours in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in 1894.

Career and later life

After initial teaching roles in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

and James Gillespies High School he returning as a full-time teacher to

in 1888. He left in 1899 to take the role of Rector (headmaster) at

where he remained until retiral in 1928. On retiral he returned to Edinburgh. Here he mixed a highly erudite circle of societies (

Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

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 ...

, the

Educational Institute of Scotland The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is the oldest teachers' trade union in the world, having been founded in 1847 when dominies became concerned about the effect of changes to the system of education in Scotland on their professional s ...

, and the

Edinburgh Mathematical Society The Edinburgh Mathematical Society is a mathematical society for academics in Scotland. History The Society was founded in 1883 by a group of Edinburgh school teachers and academics, on the initiative of Alexander Yule Fraser FRSE and Andrew Je ...

) with more individual and leisurely activities focussing on his love of hill-walking. He was also an active member of the Business Committee of the

. He died in

on 11 January 1946.

Recognition

He was elected a Fellow of the

in April 1896, his proposers were

George Chrystal George Chrystal FRSE FRS (8 March 1851 – 3 November 1911) was a Scottish mathematician. He is primarily know for his books on algebra and his studies of seiches (wave patterns in large inland bodies of water) which earned him a Gold Meda ...

Peter Guthrie Tait Peter Guthrie Tait FRSE (28 April 1831 – 4 July 1901) was a Scottish mathematical physicist and early pioneer in thermodynamics. He is best known for the mathematical physics textbook '' Treatise on Natural Philosophy'', which he co-wrote wi ...

David Fowler Lowe David Fowler Lowe FRSE LLD (11 January 1843 – 17 January 1924) was headmaster of George Heriot's School from 1880 to 1908. Life Lowe was born in Leslie, Fife on 11 January 1843. He was educated locally and then went to the University of Edin ...

and John Sturgeon Mackay. He served as president of the

from 1900 to 1901.

Family

He was married to the sister of Dr Arthur Crichton Mitchell. They had two daughters and a son.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butters, John Watt 1863 births 1946 deaths Scottish mathematicians Scientists from Edinburgh People educated at George Heriot's School Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh