Lewis Elton
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Richard Benjamin Elton (born 25 March 1923) is a German
-born British
physicist and researcher into education, specialising in higher education
.
Born Ludwig Ehrenberg in Tübingen
to the scholars Victor Ehrenberg
and Eva Dorothea Sommer, his (Jewish) family moved to Prague
in 1929, and from there to England in February 1939, to escape the threat of Nazism
. He changed his name to Lewis Elton during the Second World War, after which he obtained British citizenship. He was educated at Rydal School
in Colwyn Bay
, and thereafter at Christ's College, Cambridge
, the Regent Street Polytechnic
, London
, and University College London
. It was from the latter institution that he was awarded his PhD
, in 1950.
He was Professor of Physics at Battersea College of Technology from 1964 until 1970. As the College completed its transformation into the University of Surrey
(and its relocation from Battersea
to Guildford
) in 1970 he became Professor of Higher Education, a post he held until 1988. In 1994 he was appointed Professor of Higher Education at University College London
, where he founded the Higher Education Research and Development Unit (now the Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching). He became an honorary professor there in 2003. He was appointed Visiting Professor of Higher Education at Manchester University in August 2005.
He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Physics
and a Fellow of the Society for Research into Higher Education
. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2005 Times Higher Awards http://www.thes.co.uk/Awards/2005/, at which Baroness Kennedy said "there is a polymath quality to this man that points to someone interested in educating the whole person"http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/unilife/volume3-issue3.pdf.
His brother was the noted historian Geoffrey Elton; he is father to Ben Elton
, the comedian and author.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
physicist and researcher into education, specialising in higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
.
Born Ludwig Ehrenberg in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
to the scholars Victor Ehrenberg
Victor Ehrenberg (historian)
Victor Ehrenberg was a German historian. He was the younger brother of Hans Ehrenberg and the nephew of the jurist Victor Ehrenberg.He was married to Eva Dorothea Ehrenberg, née Sommer ....
and Eva Dorothea Sommer, his (Jewish) family moved to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1929, and from there to England in February 1939, to escape the threat of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. He changed his name to Lewis Elton during the Second World War, after which he obtained British citizenship. He was educated at Rydal School
Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos is a private co-educational boarding school in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. It is located on multiple sites around the town including a site in the neighbouring village of Rhos-on-Sea where it keeps its watersports equipment for easy access to the beach.The school, as it exists today,...
in Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
, and thereafter at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, the Regent Street Polytechnic
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. It was from the latter institution that he was awarded his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, in 1950.
He was Professor of Physics at Battersea College of Technology from 1964 until 1970. As the College completed its transformation into the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
(and its relocation from Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
) in 1970 he became Professor of Higher Education, a post he held until 1988. In 1994 he was appointed Professor of Higher Education at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he founded the Higher Education Research and Development Unit (now the Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching). He became an honorary professor there in 2003. He was appointed Visiting Professor of Higher Education at Manchester University in August 2005.
He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Physics
American Institute of Physics
The American Institute of Physics promotes science, the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies...
and a Fellow of the Society for Research into Higher Education
Society for Research into Higher Education
The Society for Research into Higher Education is an independent United Kingdom-based international society which aims to improve the quality of higher education...
. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2005 Times Higher Awards http://www.thes.co.uk/Awards/2005/, at which Baroness Kennedy said "there is a polymath quality to this man that points to someone interested in educating the whole person"http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/unilife/volume3-issue3.pdf.
His brother was the noted historian Geoffrey Elton; he is father to Ben Elton
Ben Elton
Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV....
, the comedian and author.
- See also: EhrenbergEhrenbergEhrenberg may refer to:Germany* Ehrenberg, Hesse, a town in the Fulda district** Ehrenberg in the northwest of Ehrenberg, Hesse* Ehrenberg, Thuringia, a town in the Hildburghausen district...