Francis Robbins Upton
Encyclopedia
Francis Robbins Upton was an American
physicist
and mathematician
.
in Brunswick, Maine
, at Princeton University
where he received his M.S.
, and in Berlin
, where he worked together with Hermann von Helmholtz
.
Francis Upton also attended Berlin University and Princeton University. Francis was the first ever to officially receive his degree from Princeton University. Upton was then hired by Thomas Edison, who Upton later became a great associate with.
. Since 1958, the Princeton University has had the Francis Upton Graduate Fellowships.In 1890, Upton patented the first electric fire alarm and detector along with a Mr. Fernando J. Dibble, an accomplishment of his which is often overlooked, stemming most probably from a typographical error that labels the device a "Portable Electric Tire-Alarm." (Google Books; U.S. Congressional Serial Set).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
.
Biography
Upton graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover in 1870. He studied at Bowdoin CollegeBowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
, at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
where he received his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
, and in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he worked together with Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz was a German physician and physicist who made significant contributions to several widely varied areas of modern science...
.
Francis Upton
Francis Thomas Upton was a mathematician/physicist who had been one of Thomas Edison’s main partners. Responsible for one of the most important inventions used today he is but not a recognized invention. Upton managed to create a sensor with an alarm that would ring if the temperature of the room would climb. He later called this the “smoke-detector.”Early life
Francis Upton was the son of Elijah Wood Upton and Lucy Elizabeth Winchester. Elijah was well educated and after, he did European travel. Later he was forced to take over his fathers glue business due to his fathers illness. Francis was 16 by this time and studying at Phillips Academy in Andover, after he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in 1877 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME. There he met and married his wife, Elizabeth F. Perry.Francis Upton also attended Berlin University and Princeton University. Francis was the first ever to officially receive his degree from Princeton University. Upton was then hired by Thomas Edison, who Upton later became a great associate with.
Work life
Upton was hired by Edison in 1876. Edison asked his former assistant, Helmholtz if he knew anyone with good theoretical skills who might be able to be his assistant. Helmholtz found Upton. They worked together on mathematic problems and worked on incandescent lamps, the watt-hour meter and the large dynamos. Edison depended on Francis a lot mathematically because Thomas had no early education. Upton was invited to work in Edison’s laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ. Francis had helped create the electric light bulb in 1879.Upton published articles in Scribner's Monthly and Scientific AmericanScientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
. Since 1958, the Princeton University has had the Francis Upton Graduate Fellowships.In 1890, Upton patented the first electric fire alarm and detector along with a Mr. Fernando J. Dibble, an accomplishment of his which is often overlooked, stemming most probably from a typographical error that labels the device a "Portable Electric Tire-Alarm." (Google Books; U.S. Congressional Serial Set).