The Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics at Trinity College Dublin is one of two endowed mathematics positions at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), the other being the Donegall Lectureship at Trinity College Dublin. It was founded in 1762 and funded by the Erasmus Smith Trust, which was established by Erasmus Smith (1611–1691). Since 1851, the position has been funded by Trinity College. [1] [2]
Some of the people listed here also held the Erasmus Smith's Chair of Natural and Experimental Philosophy for a period–that's another of the 4 named professorships honouring Smith's memory. The University Professor of Natural Philosophy is also a position within the School of Mathematics, now focusing on applied mathematics and theoretical physics.
William Magee was an Irish academic and Church of Ireland clergyman. He taught at Trinity College Dublin, serving as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics (1800–1811), was Bishop of Raphoe (1819–1822) and then Archbishop of Dublin until his death.
Franc Sadleir [formerly Francis] was an Irish academic who served as the 28th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1837 to 1851.
Thomas Elrington was an Irish academic and bishop who served as the 25th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1811 to 1820. He was Donegall Lecturer in Mathematics from 1790 to 1795 at Trinity College Dublin. While at Trinity College, he also served as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics from 1795 to 1799 and Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy from 1799 to 1807.
Bartholomew Lloyd was an Irish mathematician and academic who served as the 27th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1731 to 1737. His entire career was spent at Trinity College Dublin. As Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics there, he promoted significant curricular reforms, including the introduction of the teaching of calculus.
Richard Murray was an Irish mathematician and academic who served as the 22nd Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1795 to 1799. His whole career was Trinity College Dublin, having also served as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics from 1764 to 1795.
Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin is a chair in physics founded in 1724 and funded by the Erasmus Smith Trust, which was established by Erasmus Smith, a wealthy London merchant, who lived from 1611 to 1691. It is one of the oldest dedicated chairs of physics in Britain and Ireland. Originally, the holder was to be elected from the members of the college by an examination to determine the person best qualified for the professorship. Since 1851, the professorship has been supported by Trinity College. Of the 22 holders of this chair, seven were Fellows of the Royal Society while one, Ernest Walton, won the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Erasmus Smith's Professor of Modern History is a chair in history at Trinity College Dublin. It was founded in 1762 and funded by the Erasmus Smith Trust, which was established by Erasmus Smith, who lived 1611–1691. It had been preceded by a Professorship of Oratory and History in 1724, and in 1762 the original professorship continued as a Professorship of Oratory alone.
The University Chair of Natural Philosophy is a professorship in the School of Mathematics at Trinity College Dublin. It was established in 1847.
The Donegall Lecturership at Trinity College Dublin, is one of two endowed mathematics positions at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), the other being the Erasmus Smith's Chair of Mathematics. The Donegall Lectureship was endowed in 1668 by The 3rd Earl of Donegall. In 1675, after the restoration, it was combined with the previous public Professor in Mathematics position that had been created in 1652 by the Commonwealth parliament. For much of its history, the Donegall Lectureship was awarded to a mathematician as an additional honour which came with a supplementary income. Since 1967, the lectureship has been awarded to a leading international scientist who visits the Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics and gives talks, including a public lecture called the Donegall Lecture.
James Wilson was an Irish mathematician whose career was spent at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). He was born in Dublin, his father being William, and was brought up there. He studied at TCD, graduating BA (1794), MA (1800) and later BD & DD (1811).
The Erasmus Smith's Professor of Hebrew is a professorship at Trinity College Dublin. A lectureship in Oriental Languages had been founded in 1637 and later endowed by Erasmus Smith's estate in 1724. The endowment was increased in 1762 to create a Professorship in Oriental Languages. The title of the chair changed to Professor of Hebrew in 1849. The chair was elevated to a Regius Professorship in 1855 by Royal Statute. However, the Board of Trinity College did not issue a decree setting out the duties or salary of the Professorship and it was presumed that the Professorship did not actually exist until called into creation by decree. By 1878, the Board had postponed the regular creation of the Regius Professorship and the title reverted to Erasmus Smith's Professor of Hebrew.