Doris Mary Cannell (19 July 1913 – 18 April 2000) was an English educator and historian of early 19th-century mathematical physics, in particular of
George Green.
Early life
Cannell was educated in Liverpool, with a scholarship to the selective private
Merchant Taylors' School for Girls followed by a
BA from the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
in French with History subsidiary. She then gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and held teaching posts in the
UK and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
Career
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
she lectured to troops and this changed the direction of her career into higher education and the training of teachers. In 1960 she was appointed the deputy principal of the new
Nottingham College of Education. In 1974, as acting principal, she led the formation of what became
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as a new university in 1992, although its roots go back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design, w ...
, bringing together her college, Trent Polytechnic and other educational institutions in Nottingham.
Research
After her retirement in the 1970s, she again changed direction to become a respected historian of mathematics. Her major achievement was rediscovering the importance of
George Green in the development of nineteenth-century applied physics. He had initially worked as a miller near Nottingham, and although his mathematical discoveries were known and used worldwide, very little was known about his life. Her major biography of him brought his work, life and legacy together for the first time, introducing him as an important influence in nineteenth-century applied physics.
Cannell and colleagues at Nottingham led the recovery of his legacy, completing the restoration of his windmill in time for his bicentenary in 1993.
Legacy
The Mary Cannell Summer Studentships in mathematics at the University of Nottingham, funded from a legacy she made, commemorate her.
Selected publications
* D. M. Cannell, "George Green: an enigmatic mathematician", 1999) ''American Mathematical Monthly'', 106, 136–51
* D.M. Cannel and N.J. Lord, "George Green: Mathematician and Physicist", (1993) ''The Mathematical Gazette'' vol. 77, (478), 26-51.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannell, Mary
1913 births
2000 deaths
Schoolteachers from Merseyside
Academics of Nottingham Trent University
Alumni of the University of Liverpool