Thomas Smith, 1883-1969

Thomas Smith, former Superintendent of Light Division, National Physical Laboratory, died on 28 November 1969 at his home at Buxhall, Prospect Road, Heathfield, Sussex, at the age of 86. For many years, from 1908, he served on the Council and as Secretary of the old Optical Society, of which he was President in the period 1925-1927. He also had a long record of service with the Physical Society, on the Council from 1917 almost continuously to 1938, Vice-President 1922-1925 and 1932-1936, and President 1936-1938. He had also been a member of the Board of the Institute of Physics, and was the first President of the International Commission for Optics, 1947-1950. T. Smith was born at Leamington, Warwickshire, in 1883, and was educated at Warwick School, under the Rev. R. Percival Brown, and at Queen’s College, Cambridge, where he was 14th Wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos in 1905, and took the Mechanical Sciences Tripos in 1906. At first he followed his father’s profession, and taught mathematics, physics, drawing and engineering at Oundle School; one year was sufficient to convince him (and the Headmaster) that teaching was not for him, and in 1907 he joined the National Physical Laboratory as an Assistant in the Department of Electricity to work on optics and tide prediction. In 1909 he was given charge of the Optics Division, and when in 1940 the Light Division was formed he was its first Superintendent. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1932. He retired from the Laboratory in 1948, and for some time afterwards acted as a consultant for the Royal Society. He was elected an honorary member of the Optical Society of America after his retirement.