Robert Willis (engineer)
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Robert Willis (27 February 1800 – 28 February 1875) was an English
academic. He was the first Cambridge professor to win widespread recognition as a mechanical engineer, and first set the scientific study of vowel
s on a respectable foundation, but now best remembered for his extensive architectural writings, including a 4-volume treatise on the architecture
of the University of Cambridge
.
Willis was born in London, a grandson of Francis Willis, studied 1822-1826 at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
, from which he received his B.A., and in 1827 was ordained deacon and priest. In 1828 and 1829 he published two early papers on the mechanics of human speech, namely On vowel sounds, and on reed-organ pipes and On the Mechanism of the Larynx. In 1830 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, from 1837-1875 he served as Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy
at Cambridge, and from 1853 onwards a lecturer in applied mechanics at the government school of mines. In 1843 he became a member of the Royal Archaeological Institute
, in 1855 served as vice president of the Paris Exposition
, and in 1862 received the Royal Gold Medal
in architecture. He died of bronchitis
at Cambridge where his papers are archived at the Cambridge University Library.
Even before attending college, Willis invented an improvement to the harp
pedal and in 1821 published An attempt to Analyze the Automaton Chess Player. He later invented the odontograph (1837) which became widely used, and the cymograph (1841) which did not. In 1841 he published his Principles of mechanism, and in 1851 A system of Apparatus for the use of lecturers and experimenters in Mechanical Philosophy, as well as many works on medieval architecture and the mechanical construction of English cathedrals, notable for his incisive decompositions of these structures' functional and decorative aspects. He willed his manuscript on the Architectural History of the University of Cambridge to his nephew John Willis Clark
who completed it.
Willis's theory of vowel production assumed a close correspondence between vowel production and the production of musical notes using an organ: the lung acted as a bellows, the vocal folds acted as the reed, and the mouth cavity acted as the organ pipe. Different vowels corresponded to mouth cavities(/organ pipes) of different lengths, which were independent of the properties or vibrations of the vocal folds(/reed). Willis's 1830 paper On vowel sounds, and on reed-organ pipes is usually given as the reference for this theory, and is often contrasted with Wheatstone's "harmonic" theory of vowel production.Russell
devotes two chapters to the discussion of these two theories in his 1928 book on The Vowel, and Willis and Wheatstone figure prominently in the discussion of vowel theories given by Chiba and Kajiyama in their 1941 book of the same name.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
academic. He was the first Cambridge professor to win widespread recognition as a mechanical engineer, and first set the scientific study of vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s on a respectable foundation, but now best remembered for his extensive architectural writings, including a 4-volume treatise on the architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
of the University of Cambridge
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...
.
Willis was born in London, a grandson of Francis Willis, studied 1822-1826 at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
, from which he received his B.A., and in 1827 was ordained deacon and priest. In 1828 and 1829 he published two early papers on the mechanics of human speech, namely On vowel sounds, and on reed-organ pipes and On the Mechanism of the Larynx. In 1830 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, from 1837-1875 he served as Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy
Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy
The Jacksonian Professorship of Natural Philosophy is one of the senior chairs in Natural and Experimental philosophy at Cambridge University, and was founded in 1782 by a bequest from the Reverend Richard Jackson....
at Cambridge, and from 1853 onwards a lecturer in applied mechanics at the government school of mines. In 1843 he became a member of the Royal Archaeological Institute
Royal Archaeological Institute
The Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is a learned society, established in 1844, primarily devoted to the publication of the Archaeological Journal, a production of archaeological news that has been in print since 1844....
, in 1855 served as vice president of the Paris Exposition
Exposition Universelle (1855)
The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was an International Exhibition held on the Champs-Elysées in Paris from May 15 to November 15, 1855. Its full official title was the Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855.The exposition was a major...
, and in 1862 received the Royal Gold Medal
Royal Gold Medal
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture....
in architecture. He died of bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
at Cambridge where his papers are archived at the Cambridge University Library.
Even before attending college, Willis invented an improvement to the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
pedal and in 1821 published An attempt to Analyze the Automaton Chess Player. He later invented the odontograph (1837) which became widely used, and the cymograph (1841) which did not. In 1841 he published his Principles of mechanism, and in 1851 A system of Apparatus for the use of lecturers and experimenters in Mechanical Philosophy, as well as many works on medieval architecture and the mechanical construction of English cathedrals, notable for his incisive decompositions of these structures' functional and decorative aspects. He willed his manuscript on the Architectural History of the University of Cambridge to his nephew John Willis Clark
John Willis Clark
John Willis Clark , sometimes J. W. Clark, was an English academic and antiquarian.Clark was born into a Cambridge University academic family, and was a nephew of Prof. Robert Willis...
who completed it.
Willis's theory of vowel production assumed a close correspondence between vowel production and the production of musical notes using an organ: the lung acted as a bellows, the vocal folds acted as the reed, and the mouth cavity acted as the organ pipe. Different vowels corresponded to mouth cavities(/organ pipes) of different lengths, which were independent of the properties or vibrations of the vocal folds(/reed). Willis's 1830 paper On vowel sounds, and on reed-organ pipes is usually given as the reference for this theory, and is often contrasted with Wheatstone's "harmonic" theory of vowel production.Russell
George Oscar Russell
George Oscar Russel was an American speech scientist. He was a professor at the Ohio State University and published an influential book in 1928 called The Vowel: Its Physiological Mechanism as Shown by X-Ray. He was a student of Ludimar Hermann.-External links:*...
devotes two chapters to the discussion of these two theories in his 1928 book on The Vowel, and Willis and Wheatstone figure prominently in the discussion of vowel theories given by Chiba and Kajiyama in their 1941 book of the same name.