LORD KELVIN 



ON June 16, 1896, there took place in the University of 

 Glasgow an almost unique ceremony. On that day 

 the jubilee of Lord Kelvin was celebrated ; he had been 

 Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow University 

 for fifty years. The Prince of Wales, now King Edward, 

 sent him a letter of congratulation ; twenty-eight univer- 

 sities, twelve colleges, and fifty- one learned societies 

 sent delegates with addresses, wishing Lord Kelvin many 

 more years of health and happiness, and mentioning in 

 terms of profound admiration his magnificent achieve- 

 ments in the domain of physics. What were these, and 

 why did they deserve and obtain such universal admira- 

 tion ? To answer that question fully would require a 

 much longer space than is at my disposal; but I shall 

 try to give a short sketch of William Thomson's life and 

 work. 



In 1812, James Thomson, William's father, was a teacher 

 in the Royal Academic Institute of Belfast. He was one 

 of the descendants of a number of Scotsmen who emigrated 

 to North Ireland in the seventeenth and eighteenth 

 centuries. He had two sons, James and William, both of 

 whom were born in Ireland, and both of whom became 

 illustrious. When William was eight years old, his father 

 was appointed to the Chair of Mathematics in the Uni- 

 versity of Glasgow. My father was one of his students ; 

 and I remember well his allusions to Professor Thomson's 

 kindliness and sense of humour. 



