David Brunt
Encyclopedia
Sir David Brunt KBE
(17 June 1886 – 5 February 1965) was a Welsh
meteorologist.
and in 1909 was elected to the Isaac Newton studentship at the National Solar Physics Observatory.
in 1944. He went on to serve as their secretary from 1948 to 1957 and as their vice-president from 1949 to 1957.
He served as President of the Royal Meteorological Society
from 1942 to 1944 and received both their Buchan prize and Symons gold medal. He was also president of the Physical Society from 1945 to 1947.
He was knighted in 1949 and made KBE in 1959.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 June 1886 – 5 February 1965) was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
meteorologist.
Early life
He was born in Staylittle, Montgomeryshire, Wales, the youngest of the nine children of farmworker John Brunt. His father moved the family to the mining district on Monmouthshire to work as a coal miner. David attended the local Abertillery School from 1899 to 1904. In 1904 he secured a scholarship to enter the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, where he studied mathematics, physics and chemistry, gaining a first class honours degree in mathematics in 1907. He then went up to Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
and in 1909 was elected to the Isaac Newton studentship at the National Solar Physics Observatory.
Career
After leaving Cambridge he spent a year as a lecturer in mathematics at the University of Birmingham and two years in a similar post at the Monmouthshire Training College, Caerleon. In 1916 he enlisted in the Royal Engineers (meteorological section) and during the war years did important work related to atmospherical conditions at low levels in chemical warfare. He later became meteorologist to the Air Force. After demobilisation he joined the Meteorological Office which in 1921 became the Air Ministry. He continued his personal research and accepted Sir Napier Shaw's invitation to join him as part-time professor of meteorology at the Imperial College, London. After the retirement of Sir Napier Shaw Brunt beame the first full-time professor of meteorology in Britain, holding the chair from 1934 to 1952. Two years later was elected a Fellow of the college. He independently co-discovered the Brunt–Väisälä frequency.Honours and Awards
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1939 and was awarded their Royal MedalRoyal Medal
The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal, is a silver-gilt medal awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge" and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences" made within the Commonwealth of...
in 1944. He went on to serve as their secretary from 1948 to 1957 and as their vice-president from 1949 to 1957.
He served as President of the Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
from 1942 to 1944 and received both their Buchan prize and Symons gold medal. He was also president of the Physical Society from 1945 to 1947.
He was knighted in 1949 and made KBE in 1959.