Martin Wood (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Sir Martin Francis Wood, CBE
, FRS (born 19 April 1927) was co-founder of Oxford Instruments
, one of the first spin-out companies from the University of Oxford
and still one of the most successful.
He was educated at Gresham's School
, Holt
and Trinity College
, Cambridge University
, where he read engineering
, and Imperial College, London
. From 1955 to 1969, he was a Senior Research Officer at the Clarendon Laboratory
at the University of Oxford. He used the knowledge he acquired on high field magnets to form Oxford Instruments.
Sir Martin and his wife, Audrey, have many philanthropic achievements, including donating £2m for the building of the Sir Martin Wood Lecture Theatre at the Clarendon Laboratory. He also founded the Northmoor Trust
to promote nature conservation at Little Wittenham
and the Wittenham Clumps
, and the Sylva Foundation
to support sustainable forest management
. In 2005, Oxford Innovation, a company also founded by Sir Martin Wood, launched the Martin and Audrey Wood Enterprise Awards for entrepreneurship (http://www.oxin-centres.co.uk).
Martin Wood was knighted in 1986, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1987, and has received honorary degrees in eight British universities.
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...
, FRS (born 19 April 1927) was co-founder of Oxford Instruments
Oxford Instruments
Oxford Instruments plc is a United Kingdom manufacturing and research company that designs and manufactures tools and systems for industry and research. The company is headquartered in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, with sites in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, and Asia...
, one of the first spin-out companies from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and still one of the most successful.
He was educated at Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
and Trinity College
Trinity 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...
, Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he read engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, and Imperial College, 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...
. From 1955 to 1969, he was a Senior Research Officer at the Clarendon Laboratory
Clarendon Laboratory
The Clarendon Laboratory, located on Parks Road with the Science Area in Oxford, England , is part of the Physics Department at Oxford University...
at the University of Oxford. He used the knowledge he acquired on high field magnets to form Oxford Instruments.
Sir Martin and his wife, Audrey, have many philanthropic achievements, including donating £2m for the building of the Sir Martin Wood Lecture Theatre at the Clarendon Laboratory. He also founded the Northmoor Trust
Northmoor Trust
The Northmoor Trust was set up in 1969 by the British engineer Sir Martin Wood to promote environmental conservation through land management, education and land science...
to promote nature conservation at Little Wittenham
Little Wittenham
Little Wittenham is a village and civil parish on the south bank of the River Thames, northeast of Didcot in South Oxfordshire. It has one of only 220 habitats across Europe which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the European Union's Habitats Directive , on the Conservation of...
and the Wittenham Clumps
Wittenham Clumps
Wittenham Clumps is the commonly used name for a set of small hills in the flat Thames Valley, in the civil parish of Little Wittenham in the English county of Oxfordshire....
, and the Sylva Foundation
Sylva Foundation
The Sylva Foundation is a tree and forestry organisation established in 2008, and registered as a charity in England and Wales in 2009. It is based in a rural location in the small village of Little Wittenham in Oxfordshire, England...
to support sustainable forest management
Sustainable forest management
Sustainable forest management is the management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. Sustainable forest management uses very broad social, economic and environmental goals...
. In 2005, Oxford Innovation, a company also founded by Sir Martin Wood, launched the Martin and Audrey Wood Enterprise Awards for entrepreneurship (http://www.oxin-centres.co.uk).
Martin Wood was knighted in 1986, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1987, and has received honorary degrees in eight British universities.
Honours
- Honorary doctorate from Oxford University
- Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
- Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe 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...
- Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
- KnighthoodKnight BachelorThe rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
Further reading
- Audrey Wood — Magnetic Venture: The Story of Oxford Instruments (Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 2001). ISBN 0-19-924108-2.