Professional/specialist Famous Names Starting with Letter W

An American geophysicist who has made seminal contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and geo

An American geophysicist who has made seminal contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and geodynamics. He is Knox Taylor Professor emeritus of geology and professor of geosciences at Princeton University.After having received his BSc in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1957, he went to Princeton University, where he completed his PhD in 1964 under the supervision of Bob Dicke. He joined the faculty of the university immediately afterwards.His first major contribution, made in the late 1960s, was to relate the magnetic anomalies of alternating polarity, which occur on the ocean bottom at both sides of a mid-ocean ridge, to seafloor spreading and plate tectonics.

Was an English ornithologist, malacologist, conchologist, entomologist and artist.William, whose for

Was an English ornithologist, malacologist, conchologist, entomologist and artist.William, whose formal education was curtailed because of an impediment in his speech, joined the Liverpool Customs as a junior clerk at the age of 14.[3] He joined the Army Commissariat and toured Malta and Sicily[4][3] He studied the ichthyology of western Sicily and in 1815, he was forced by ill health to return to England where he subsequently retired on half pay. William followed in his father's footsteps to become a fellow of the Linnean Society in 1815.[3]In 1816 he went with the explorer Henry Koster to Brazil. Henry Koster had travelled to Brazil once before and became famous for his book Travels in Brazil.[5] There he met Dr Grigori Ivanovitch Langsdorff, a Consul General of Russia and explorer of Brazil. They did not spend a long time on shore because of a revolution, but Swainson returned to England in 1818 in his words “a bee loaded with honey”,

Was a British geologist. He was professor at University College, Bristol, Trinity College, Dublin an

Was a British geologist. He was professor at University College, Bristol, Trinity College, Dublin and Oxford University. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1889.

Was an English philologist and student of ancient India, particularly known for his proposition of t

Was an English philologist and student of ancient India, particularly known for his proposition of the existence of a relationship among Indo-European languages. He was also the founder of the Asiatic Society.Jones was born at Beaufort Buildings, Westminster; his father (also named William Jones) was a mathematician. The young William Jones was a linguistic prodigy, learning Greek, Latin, Persian, Arabic and the basics of Chinese writing at an early age. By the end of his life he knew thirteen languages thoroughly and another twenty-eight reasonably well, making him a hyperpolyglot.

Was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Known for his outspoken liberal

Was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Known for his outspoken liberal views, including opposition to the death penalty and support for abortion rights, he was considered to be among the Court's most influential members.

Was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Known for his outspoken liberal

Was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Known for his outspoken liberal views, including opposition to the death penalty and support for abortion rights, he was considered to be among the Court's most influential members.Brennan was the second of eight children. His parents, William and Agnes (McDermott) Brennan, were Irish immigrants. They met in the United States, although both were originally from County Roscommon in Ireland. His father had little education; he worked as a metal polisher. However, he rose to a position of leadership, serving as the Commissioner of Public Safety for the city of Newark from 1917 to 1930.

Was an American zoologist, renowned as a primatologist, paleontologist, and functional and comparati

Was an American zoologist, renowned as a primatologist, paleontologist, and functional and comparative morphologist. He was an expert on mammalian dentition, and a leading contributor to theories of evolution. In addition he was active in presenting his ideas to students and the general public through books and museum exhibits.He developed an early interest in both fishes and the land vertebrates, publishing papers on both groups, including two in Science in 1903. By 1911 he had expanded his interests to encompass amphibians with a paper on the limb structure of the Permian Eryops. Despite his heavy workload he served as editor of the American Museum Journal (which would later become Natural History). He was formally appointed to the scientific staff at the American Museum of Natural History in 1911 and became part of the teaching faculty at Columbia in 1916, eventually rising to the post of Da Costa Professor in the Department of Zoology.

Was an English entomologist, an original member of the Linnean Society and a Fellow of the Royal Soc

Was an English entomologist, an original member of the Linnean Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is considered the "founder of entomology".Kirby was a grandson of the Suffolk topographer John Kirby (author of The Suffolk Traveller) and nephew of artist-topographer Joshua Kirby (a friend of Thomas Gainsborough's). He was also a cousin of the children's author Mrs Sarah Trimmer. His parents were William Kirby, a solicitor, and Lucy Meadows. He was born at Witnesham, Suffolk, and studied at Ipswich School and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1781. Taking holy orders in 1782,

An American linguist, widely regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist sociolinguist

An American linguist, widely regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist sociolinguistics.[2] He has been described as "an enormously original and influential figure who has created much of the methodology" of sociolinguistics.[3] He is employed as a professor in the linguistics department of the University of Pennsylvania, and pursues research in sociolinguistics, language change, and dialectology.he studied at Harvard (1948) and worked as an industrial chemist (1949-61) before turning to linguistics. For his MA thesis (1963) he completed a study of change in the dialect of Martha's Vineyard, which was presented before the Linguistic Society of America to great acclaim. Labov took his PhD (1964) at Columbia University studying under Uriel Weinreich.

Was a British soldier, surveyor, and geographer.Lambton was born in North Yorkshire, the son of a fa

Was a British soldier, surveyor, and geographer.Lambton was born in North Yorkshire, the son of a farmer.[2] His skill in mathematics earned him a place in a grammar school and then, in 1781, an Ensignship in the 33rd Regiment of Foot. He was commissioned in the 33rd Regiment and his ability at surveying led to work on measuring land for settlers in America. He was appointed barrack master in Nova Scotia and he spent many years studying mathematics on his own.[1] With his regiment he took part in the American War of Independence and was taken prisoner at Yorktown

Was an English astronomer.he made his fortune as a beer brewer, which enabled him to indulge his int

Was an English astronomer.he made his fortune as a beer brewer, which enabled him to indulge his interest in astronomy. He built an observatory near Liverpool with a 24-inch (610 mm) reflector telescope, for which he pioneered the use of an equatorial mount for easy tracking of objects as the earth rotates. He ground and polished the mirror himself, using equipment he constructed.In 1846 Lassell discovered Triton, the largest moon of Neptune, just 17 days after the discovery of Neptune itself by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle. In 1848 he independently co-discovered Hyperion, a moon of Saturn. In 1851 he discovered Ariel and Umbriel, two new moons of Uranus.

An American geographer and transportation analyst, currently a professor emeritus at the University

An American geographer and transportation analyst, currently a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. While at the University of Washington in the 1950s, Garrison led the "quantitative revolution" in geography, which applied computers and statistics to the study of spatial problems. As such, he was one of the founders of regional science. Many of his students (dubbed the "space cadets") went on to become noted professors themselves, including: Brian Berry, Ronald Boyce, Duane Marble, Richard Morrill, John Nystuen, William Bunge, Michael Dacey, Arthur Getis, and Waldo Tobler. His transportation work focuses on innovation, the deployment of modes and logistic curves, alternative vehicles and the future of the car.

Was a British zoologist and museum director. He was the son of Philip Lutley Sclater, and was named

Was a British zoologist and museum director. He was the son of Philip Lutley Sclater, and was named after his paternal grandfather, also William Lutley Sclater.

Was a Scottish naturalist and ornithologist.MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen and brought up on the

Was a Scottish naturalist and ornithologist.MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen and brought up on the island of Harris. He returned to Aberdeen where he studied medicine at King's College. In 1823 he became assistant to the Professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh. He was Curator of the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1831, and Professor of Natural History at Marischal College, Aberdeen from 1841. He died in Aberdeen and was buried in Edinburgh's New Calton cemetery.

Was an American geologist, the unpaid maker of the rather accurate first geological map of the Unite

Was an American geologist, the unpaid maker of the rather accurate first geological map of the United States in 1809, six years before the Geological Map of England by William Smith.In 1826 he was the President of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia. Many of the failed experience of "New Harmony" in Indiana State would be communistic children, known as "Owen", a midname today in England from sometimes "progressive" parents, were much influenced by Maclure and managed to be notorious geologists , naturalists or botanists such as:

Was an American geophysicist and oceanographer.Ewing has been described as a pioneering geophysicist

Was an American geophysicist and oceanographer.Ewing has been described as a pioneering geophysicist who worked on the research of seismic reflection and refraction in ocean basins, ocean bottom photography, submarine sound transmission (including the SOFAR channel), deep sea coring of the ocean bottom, theory and observation of earthquake surface waves, fluidity of the earth's core, generation and propagation of microseisms, submarine explosion seismology, marine gravity surveys, bathymetry and sedimentation, natural radio-activity of ocean waters and sediments, study of abyssal plains and submarine canyons.

Was an American geographer, geologist, and meteorologist, often called the "father of American geogr

Was an American geographer, geologist, and meteorologist, often called the "father of American geography".He then worked in Córdoba, Argentina for three years, then after working as an assistant to Nathaniel Shaler, he became an instructor in geology at Harvard, in 1879. (Davis never completed his PhD.) He married Ellen B. Warner of Springfield, Massachusetts in the same year.His most influential scientific contribution was the cycle of erosion, first defined around 1884, which was a model of how rivers create landforms. Though the cycle is considered overly simplistic today, it was a crucial early contribution to geomorphology.

Is a mathematician and computer scientist whose main area of contribution has been numerical analysi

Is a mathematician and computer scientist whose main area of contribution has been numerical analysis. Among his colleagues he is known as Velvel Kahan.

Was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and Harvard professor.They had a small museum which Whee

Was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and Harvard professor.They had a small museum which Wheeler had studied since he was a child, and when Ward's Natural Science Establishment in early 1884 brought a collection of stuffed and skeletonized animals to the academy, to persuade the city fathers to purchase them, Wheeler volunteered to spend the nights in helping Ward to unpack and install the specimens. The latter was so impressed that he offered Wheeler a job in his Rochester, New York establishment. Here he identified birds and mammals, and later collections of shells, echinoderms and sponges. His shell catalogue was still in use by collectors in the late 1920s.

Commonly known as Lord Mansfield, was a British barrister, politician and judge noted for his reform

Commonly known as Lord Mansfield, was a British barrister, politician and judge noted for his reform of English law. Born to Scottish nobility, Murray was educated in Perth before moving to London at the age of 13 to take up a place at Westminster School.

Was a Yorkshireman, English banker, economist and statistician born at Thirsk, Yorkshire.He took his

Was a Yorkshireman, English banker, economist and statistician born at Thirsk, Yorkshire.He took his schooling at York, and, as a young man, held some clerkly appointments in that city. He early showed his literary taste and talent by publishing a Guide t

Was a Finnish botanist and entomologist. Nylander taught at the University of Helsinki for a number

Was a Finnish botanist and entomologist. Nylander taught at the University of Helsinki for a number of years before later moving to Paris, where he was to live until his death in 1899. He was a very important figure in the field of lichenology.

Was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of Lon

Was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846.

Was a Scottish soldier, explorer, and botanist best known for leading early settlement in Tasmania.

Was a Scottish soldier, explorer, and botanist best known for leading early settlement in Tasmania. The standard author abbreviation Paterson is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name.[1]Paterson was originally commissioned in the 98th Regiment of Foot, but transferred to the 73rd Regiment of Foot after the 98th's disbandment in 1787.In 1794, Lieutenant-Colonel William Paterson, from the New South Wales Corps, granted more land and convict servants to the military, giving them great powers and undermining Governor Arthur Phillip's good naval government.

Australian judge and 22nd Governor-General of Australia.

Australian judge and 22nd Governor-General of Australia.