Arthur Stanley Ramsey (9 September 1867 – 31 December 1954) was a British mathematician and author of mathematics and physics textbooks. He was Fellow of

Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

, and its President from 1915–52.

Biography

The son of Rev. Adam Averell Ramsey of

Dewsbury Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder, West Yorkshire, River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, ...

, a

Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...

minister, and his wife Hephzibah, Ramsey was educated at

Batley Grammar School Batley Grammar School is a state-funded co-educational free school in Batley, West Yorkshire, England, for pupils aged 4 to 16. History The school was founded in 1612 by the Rev. William Lee. An annual founder's day service is held in his ...

and

where he read Mathematics (B.A. (6th Wrangler) 1889; M.A. 1893). He was Assistant Master at

Fettes College Fettes College () is a co-educational private boarding and day school in Craigleith, Edinburgh, Scotland, with over two-thirds of its pupils in residence on campus. The school was originally a boarding school for boys only and became co-ed in ...

from 1890 to 1897, moving into academia as Fellow of Magdalene in 1897. He was

Bursar A bursar (derived from ''wikt:bursa, bursa'', Latin for 'Coin purse, purse') is a professional Administrator of the government, administrator in a school or university often with a predominantly financial role. In the United States, bursars usual ...

of the college, 1904–13 and

University Lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

in Mathematics, 1926-32. As a tutor, he supervised the maths work of

William Empson Sir William Empson (27 September 1906 – 15 April 1984) was an English literary critic and poet, widely influential for his practice of closely reading literary works, a practice fundamental to New Criticism. His best-known work is his firs ...

, who would go on to apply path-breaking tools of analytical logic to the criticism of literature. In 1902 Ramsey married (Mary) Agnes (1875-1927), daughter of Rev. Plumpton Stravenson Wilson, vicar of

Horbling __NOTOC__ Horbling is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the B1177, south-east of Sleaford, north-east of Grantham and north of Billingborough. Village population recorded in the 2 ...

, Lincs. and sister to the cricketer and footballer Geoffrey Plumpton Wilson. Mary herself was academically accomplished, having earned a Class II Honours Certificate in Modern History from

St Hugh's College, Oxford St Hugh's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It is located on a site on St Margaret's Road, to the north of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 by Elizabeth Wordsworth as a ...

. In April 1913, Mary stood for election to the Cambridge

Board of Guardians Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930. England and Wales Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the po ...

in Bridge Ward, and was elected with 321 votes. Ramsey and his wife had two daughters, Bridget and Margaret, and two sons, philosopher and mathematician Frank Plumpton Ramsey (1903–1930) and

Michael Ramsey Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury (14 November 1904 – 23 April 1988), was a British Anglican bishop and life peer. He served as the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and ...

(1904–1988) who was the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

for thirteen years. Mary Agnes was killed in 1927 in a road traffic accident. He is buried in the

Ascension Parish Burial Ground The Ascension Parish Burial Ground, formerly known as the burial ground for the parish of St Giles and St Peter's, is a cemetery off Huntingdon Road in Cambridge, England. Many notable University of Cambridge academics are buried there, includ ...

in Cambridge; his son Frank and wife Mary are buried in the same plot.A Guide to Churchill College, Cambridge: text by Dr

Mark Goldie Mark Goldie is an English historian and Emeritus Professor of Intellectual History at Churchill College, Cambridge. He has written on the English political theorist John Locke and is a member of the Early Modern History and Political Thought and ...

, pages 62 and 63 (2009) His home, Howfield, Buckingham Road, is now part of

Cambridge Blackfriars Cambridge Blackfriars is a priory of the Dominican Order in Cambridgeshire, England. It was established in 1238, dissolved in 1538 and re-established in 1938. It continues to operate as a Dominican priory and, in 2000, became the novitiate house ...

Publications

* 1913: (with W. H. Besant
A Treatise on Hydromechanics
from Google Books. * 1956: ''An Introduction to the Theory of Newtonian Attraction'',

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsey, Arthur Stanley 1867 births Fellows of Magdalene College, Cambridge 1954 deaths 19th-century British mathematicians 20th-century British mathematicians British science writers People educated at Batley Grammar School Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Place of birth missing Ramsey family