William Jack

Glasgow Herald obituary

DEATH OF DISTINGUISHED. MATHEMATICIAN
THIRTY YEARS IN GLASGOW UNIVERSITY

We regret for announce the death of Mr William Jack, M.A., LL.D., D.Sc., F.R.S.E. Emeritus Professor of Mathematics in the University of Glasgow, which took place yesterday after a short illness at 5 St John's Terrace, Hillhead. Appointed to the Chair of Mathematics in 1879, he discharged for thirty years the duties of that office with rate fidelity and success. Dr Jack was born in 1834, and was educated at Irvine Academy and the Universities of Glasgow, and Cambridge. His excellent record at school was fully maintained at the University, where he secured high prizes in every class. At Cambridge his place as Fourth Wrangler was regarded as at least equal to that of Senior Wrangler, followed as it was by his defeating the three above him on the Tripos List in competition for the first Smith's prize, the examination for which has always been thought the best test of original mathematical power. His success was indicative of the life-work in which he was later to attain such a high position.

VARIED EXPERIENCE

After leaving Cambridge Dr Jack had a varied career, In 1860 he was appointed Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools in Scotland, an office which he filled for six years with great ability and judgment. He was then elected to the Chair of Natural Philosophy in Owen's College (now the University of Manchester), and in this new field he took an active part in the life both of the College and of the great community in which it was placed. An extremely popular teacher, excelling in lucidity of statement and breadth of method, he showed himself a worthy successor to Professor Clifton, and a worthy colleague of Professor (afterwards Sır Henry) Roscoe and other eminent men of science. His more especial mark upon the College was made in the share he took in its educational counsels and in its general academical progress. To mark its sense of his services the Victoria University (as Owen's College had then become) at the jubiles celebrations in 1902 conferred on him the degree of D.Sc. In 1870 Dr Jack accepted the editorship of "The Glasgow Herald," a position which he held for six years. During his editorship he strove to extend the influence and literary position of the journal. His object, as he told his staff, was to make the newspaper a People's University, and in pursuance of this aim leading articles were enlarged and improved, book reviews received more attention, and the area of its news service was considerably extended. It was while editor of "The Glasgow Herald" that he received the degree of LL.D. from Glasgow University. The history of Dr Jack's partnership in the firm of Macmillan and Co., to which he was at all times closely attached by personal and local ties, was less open to public notice, but he is known to have had a prominent share in the important undertakings of the house, then establishing its position among the leading publishing houses of the United Kingdom. While still a partner he acted as Assistant Commissioner on the Primary Education (Ireland) Commission of 878, just as afterwards in 1882 he served on the Queen's Colleges (Ireland) Commission, and wrote substantially the able majority In both capacities he rendered excellent service.

WORK AT GLASGOW UNIVERSITY

It was by his election to the Mathematical Chair in Glasgow in 1879 and by the influence he exerted not only in his own departiment but in the Senate, Court, and Council that he is best remembered. In the first year of his occupancy of the Chair he introduced a new spirit, improving the teaching arrangements and greatly extending the subjects of study. Classes were divided and the students grouped according to ability. His interest and influence were pervasive, the junior as well as the senior classes receiving his personal attention. The standard of attainment reached by candi dates for honours in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy was very appreciably raised by the training received in the senior mathematical class, and by having one division taught to a large extent tutorially, he anticipated what has since been accepted by professors in all the four Universities as in the highest degree desirable. In 1909, after 30 years valuable service, he retired from the Chair, to the great regret of students and professors alike. An influential committee was formed to give tangible expression to the general esteem in which he was held, and at an interesting ceremony held in the Bute Hall towards the end of 1910 a portrait of Dr Jack, painted by Sir James Guthrie, P.R.S.A., and subscribed for by colleagues, students, and other friends, was handed over to the University by Sir Henry Craik, M.P., while the Rev. Dr John Smith, also on of behalf of publishers presented a sum of £500 for the institution of a "William Jack" prize. The University Court, in accepting Dr Jack's resignation, put on record their grateful appreciation of his devoted labours during the past 30 years, their regret at severing their official association with a colleague who has won so warm a place in their regard by his services and by his character, and their good wishes for his enjoyment of the repose he has earned so well. For some years Dr Jack's health had been gradually failing, and it was, although with profoundest regret, yet with no great surprise, that intimation of his death was received.

AN INTIMATE TRIBUTE

Of his personal qualities and human genius a correspondent, who was long and intimately acquainted with Dr. Jack, writes: "Dr Jack was a very much greater man than any public biography can show. He was not more kindly than he was wise, and it was by those who went to him in any difficulty that this real self was seen. There was never anyone who had a more sympathetic or spontaneous understanding of another's trouble. Unperturbed himself and acquainted, apparently by experience, with the nature of the difficulty, he was able, and equally with young or old, to heal. For the last few years he had been physically weakening, and his once faultless memory had greatly failed, but to those who knew him in the ripe autumn of his days to have a talk with him and to partake of his prudent wisdom was truly to be made acquainted with the case of life. Here was one who, without the least parade, and with no air of a conqueror, had not found living too difficult a business. As one spoke or listened, the world seemed better and more comfortable and one's own anxiety less freen -for indeed he seemed to make the world better and more human merely by living in it."

Dr Jack married a daughter of Mr J. P. Nichol, Professor of Astronomy, who predeceased him. He is survived by two sons, Dr W. R. Jack and Professor A. A. Jack. who occupies the Chair of English Literature in the University of Aberdeen.