Life and Career

 
 

Sir Joseph John Thomson in His Office

http://www.aip.org/history/electron/jjhome.htm

• Thomson taught mathematics and physics at Cambridge, succeeding Lord Rayleigh as professor of physics at the age of 27.

 
• He became director of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory to do research from 1884 through 1919.

 
• For his involvement in the scientific community, he was appointed president of the Royal Society, a position he maintained from 1915 through 1920.

• He was invited to be professor of natural philosophy at the Royal Institute of Great Britain from 1905 to 1918.

• He served as master of Trinity College from 1918 until his death.

• He was also very active in many other fields of interest other than science. He was involved in politics, current fiction, drama, university sports, and the non-technical aspects of science.

• His greatest interest outside of physics was plants. He enjoyed walks in the hilly regions near Cambridge, where he searched for rare botanical specimens for his garden.

• He died August 30, 1940 at Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. He was given the honor of burial in the Westminster Abbey.