Ernest Geoffrey Cullwick (24 May 1903 – 13 May 1981) was a British pioneer of electromagnetism in relation to its effects upon atomic particles. He served as Director of Electrical Engineering for the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

and Director of the Electrical Research Division of the Defense Research Board of Canada. He is noted as a critic of the

Special Theory of Relativity In physics, the special theory of relativity, or special relativity for short, is a scientific theory regarding the relationship between space and time. In Albert Einstein's original treatment, the theory is based on two postulates: # The laws o ...

. He was also an amateur bookbinder of great skill.

Life

He was born at 14 Snow Hill in

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...

in 1903, the youngest son of Herbert Ernest Cullwick (1859–1945) and his wife, Edith Ada Ascough. In 1905 his father is noted as Director of Cullwicks Ltd, a company going into liquidation. Ernest attended Wolverhampton Grammar School. He won a place to Downing College, Cambridge graduating BA in 1925 and won a Foundation Scholarship leading to an MA in 1929. He then studied as a postgraduate at

St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

where he obtained a DSc. He then moved to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

working as an assistant professor at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

. In 1937, he was made Professor of Electrical Engineering at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

. Whilst officially holding this role until 1947 the post was disrupted by the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

, during which he served as a Technical Director for both the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

and the

. In 1947 he transferred to be Director of the Electrical Research Division of the Defense Research Board of Canada, based in Ottawa. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1946 for his war service. In 1949, he returned to Britain to take on the role of Professor of Electrical Engineering at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

where he also became Dean of the Faculty of Science. In 1967 he transferred to the linked Dundee University which shared facilities with St Andrews. In 1950, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were

George Dawson Preston George Dawson Preston FRSE (1896–1972) was a 20th century British physicist specialising in crystallography and the structure of alloys. He was one of the first to use x-rays and electron diffraction to study the crystal structure of metals ...

Edward Thomas Copson Edward Thomas Copson FRSE (21 August 1901 – 16 February 1980) was a British mathematician who contributed widely to the development of mathematics at the University of St Andrews, serving as Regius Professor of Mathematics amongst other pos ...

, John F. Allen, and

John Meadows Jackson Dr John Meadows Jackson FRSE FIMA FRAS (1907–1998) was a British mathematician. Life He was born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy on the edge of Manchester on 8 February 1907. His mother died during his birth and he was raised by his grandparents. He wa ...

. He retired in 1973 and moved to Dover. He died in Dover in Kent in 1981 and was buried there in St James Cemetery.

Publications

*''Fundamentals of Electromagnetism'' (1939) *''Electromagnetism and Relativity'' (1957) *''The Clock Paradox'' (1963) *''Electromagnetic Momentum and Newton’s Third Law''

Family

He married Mamie Ruttan Boucher in 1929. They had one son, Robert Cullwick, plus their daughter, Evelyn Soppitt and five grandchildren who live in Canada and the UK.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cullwick, Ernest Geoffrey 1903 births 1981 deaths Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge British scientists People from Wolverhampton