Sir Richard Arman Gregory, 1st Baronet FRS, FRAS (29 January 1864 – 15 September 1952) was a British astronomer and promoter of science. Some of his work was published as by Richard A. or R. A. Gregory. Richard Arman Gregory was born in Bristol on 29 January 1864. His father was John Gregory, 'the poet cobbler'. Gregory was professor of astronomy at Queen's College, London, and wrote textbooks on astronomy, chemistry, hygiene, physics and other scientific subjects. He was also a member of the Council of British Association for the advancement of science and Chairman of the Committee on Science Teaching in Secondary Schools. He was knighted in 1919, for "remarkable public work in organising the British Scientific Products Exhibition". He subsequently served as editor of ''

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

'' between 1919 and 1939, and was credited with helping to establish ''Nature'' in the international scientific community. In 1924, he served as president of the

Geographical Association The Geographical Association (GA) is an association in the United Kingdom. The organisation has a stated aim of improving geographical knowledge of the public through promoting geographical education. Origins The Geographical Association was fo ...

. His obituary by the Royal Society stated: "Gregory was always very interested in the international contacts of science, and in the columns of ''Nature'' he always gave generous space to accounts of the activities of the International Scientific Unions." He was created a

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, of

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

in the County of Gloucester, on 30 January 1931. In 1933 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

.The Royal Society: List of Fellows of the Royal Society 1660–2007
From 1947 to 1951, Gregory became President of the Ethical Union (now

Humanists UK Humanists UK, known from 1967 until May 2017 as the British Humanist Association (BHA), is a charitable organisation which promotes secular humanism and aims to represent Irreligion in the United Kingdom, non-religious people in the UK throug ...

), succeeding journalist H. N. Brailsford, and succeeded by the legal scholar Lord Chorley. He was also an Honorary Associate of the Rationalist Association. Gregory married Dorothy Mary Page (Dusky) on 27 Jan 1931. He died in September 1952, aged 88, when the baronetcy became extinct. Gregory was elected by the old students of the Royal College of Science to be president of th
Royal College of Science Association
o
Imperial College London
and served from 1919 until 1922.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, Richard Arman 1864 births 1952 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Fellows of the Royal Society (Statute 12) Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society Nature (journal) editors People from Bristol English humanists