William Marshall Smart 
Biography of William Marshall Smart
William Marshall Smart (1889-1975) was a graduate of the University who was Professor of Astronomy from 1937 until 1959. He was Dean of the Faculty of Science from 1946 to 1949.
Born in Perthshire, Smart graduated MA from the University in 1910 with first class honours in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. He went on to graduate with a triple first in the Mathematical Triposes at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he won the Tyson Medal for Astronomy. After serving in the Royal Navy during the First World War as an instructor in navigation, Smart returned to Cambridge in 1919 as a lecturer in Mathematics and John Couch Adams Astronomer. With Commander FN Shearme, he wrote the Admiralty Manual of Navigation (1922).
During the Second World War, Adams published four volumes on sea and air navigation that became textbooks in the armed services. He wrote more than twenty academic books during his career, and was recognised as a leader in his field. Among many offices, he was President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1949 to 1951.
Summary
William Marshall Smart
Astronomer
Born 9 March 1889, Doune, Scotland.
Died 17 September 1975.
GU Degree: MA, 1910;
University Link: Alumnus, Faculty Dean, Professor
Occupation categories: astronomers; mathematicians
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Record last updated: 11th Aug 2008
Country Associations
Scotland
Place of Birth
University Connections
University Roles
- Faculty Dean, 1946-1949
- Alumnus
- Professor
Academic Posts
Professorships: