Sir Oliver Lodge 137 



At the age of twenty-one he threw up his business 

 career and entered University College. It was a struggle 

 — a very hard struggle — for he had no money and had to 

 support himself by giving lessons to those better off than 

 himself. The extent of his success is indicated by the 

 fact that within five years he had his degree (Doctor of 

 Science) and was able to marry. Before he was thirty 

 years old he was Professor of Physics at the new Uni- 

 versity College of Liverpool. 



That was in 1881. Six years later he was made a 

 Fellow of the Royal Society, and in the next year received 

 the honorary degree of LL.D. from St Andrews. The 

 famous Scottish university, it may be said, is by no 

 means prodigal of such honours. Since that time Sir 

 Oliver has had similar honours from the universities of 

 Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, London, Edinburgh — indeed, 

 from nearly every great seat of learning in his own 

 country and from many abroad as well. In 1900 he was 

 chosen as the first head of the University of Birmingham, 

 and in 1902 received the honour of knighthood at the 

 coronation of King Edward. 



In describing an interview with Sir Oliver, in the 

 Strand Magazine, Augustus Muir says : "Sir Oliver Lodge 

 has brought Science right to the front door of the ordinary 

 man. ,: This is very true, for Sir Oliver has the un- 

 common gift of being able to put difficult subjects into 

 simple and understandable language. The millions who 

 have listened to his broadcast talks will all bear witness 

 to this. 



Sir Oliver has now retired, and lives at Norman ton 

 House, on Salisbury Plain, a charming old place not far 

 from that wonderful relic, the sun temple of Stonehenge. 

 A river flows at the bottom of his garden, and in this 

 garden is a revolving sun parlour where in good weather 

 its owner works. For although he has nominally retired 

 it is not in Sir Oliver's nature to relax altogether ; he has 



