Francis Joseph Cole FRS (3 February 1872 – 27 January 1959) was an English

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

and a professor at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

for 33 years.

Education

Cole was born in London and educated at Sir Walter St. John's School,

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

and

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

Career

Cole was a lecturer in

zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

at the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

from 1897 until 1906, when he became Professor of Zoology at the

, the first holder of the post. He then began setting up the Cole Museum of Zoology, encouraging overseas visitors to the Department to donate specimens. He remained at Reading, until retiring in 1939, but carried on writing in retirement. He wrote in particular on comparative anatomy and the history of zoology, after his early work on the morphology of fish. His works included a "History of Protozoology" (1926), "Early Theories of Sexual Generation" (1930) and a "History of Comparative Anatomy from Aristotle to the Eighteenth Century" (1944). He retired from Reading in 1939 being replaced by Prof Charles Henry O'Donoghue.

Awards and honours

Cole was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1926, and won the Neill Gold Medal of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

in 1908. He was the 1950

Wilkins Lecture The Wilkins Lecture was a lecture organised by the Royal Society of London on the subject of the history of science and named after John Wilkins John Wilkins (14 February 1614 – 19 November 1672) was an English Anglican ministry, Anglica ...

References

1872 births 1959 deaths English zoologists Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Academics of the University of Reading Academics of the University of Liverpool Fellows of the Royal Society People educated at Sir Walter St John's Grammar School For Boys {{UK-zoologist-stub