Sir Percy Edward Kent
(18 March 1913 – 9 July 1986) was a British geologist who won the
Royal Medal in 1971. Awarded the
Bigsby Medal
The Bigsby Medal is a medal of the Geological Society of London established by John Jeremiah Bigsby. It is awarded for the study of American geology.
Recipients
SourcThe Geological Society
See also
* List of geology awards
* Prizes named afte ...
in 1955 and the
Murchison Medal
The Murchison Medal is an academic award established by Roderick Murchison, who died in 1871. First awarded in 1873, it is normally given to people who have made a significant contribution to geology by means of a substantial body of research and ...
in 1969, he was made a
Knight Bachelor
The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...
in the
1973 Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours 1973 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were published on 2 June 1973 for ...
.
Early life
He attended
West Bridgford Grammar School. From the
University of Nottingham
, mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom
, established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status
, type = Public
, chancellor ...
he gained a BSc in 1934, and a PhD in 1941.
Career
P.E. Kent joined
Louis Leakey and
Mary Leakey
Mary Douglas Leakey, FBA (née Nicol, 6 February 1913 – 9 December 1996) was a British paleoanthropologist who discovered the first fossilised ''Proconsul'' skull, an extinct ape which is now believed to be ancestral to humans. She also disc ...
in their 1935 investigation of
Olduvai Gorge
The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge in Tanzania is one of the most important paleoanthropological localities in the world; the many sites exposed by the gorge have proven invaluable in furthering understanding of early human evolution. A steep-si ...
.
He was Chief Geologist from 1966-71 of
BP. In 1969-1970 he served as the President of the
Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union, where he already served as the sectional officer for geology.
From 1974-6 he was President of the
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows.
Fe ...
.
Personal life
He married Margaret (Betty) Hood in 1940, and they had two daughters, one of whom is
Helen Cooper. His first wife died in 1974. In 1976 he married Lorna Scott. He lived in
West Bridgford
West Bridgford is a town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Rushcliffe in the county of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, from which the River Trent divides it. Forming part of the Not ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Percy Edward
1913 births
1986 deaths
Royal Medal winners
20th-century British geologists
BP people
Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the Geological Society of London
Knights Bachelor
People from West Bridgford
People educated at West Bridgford School
Alumni of the University of Nottingham
Members of the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union