Biographical entry Pitman, Edwin James George (1897 - 1993)

Summary

Edwin Pitman was Professor of Mathematics, University of Tasmania 1926-1962. He was educated at South Melbourne College and Ormond College, University of Melbourne and went on to be Acting Professor of Mathematics at Canterbury College, University of New Zealand 1922-1923. He returned to Australia to tutor in mathematics and physics at Trinity and Ormond Colleges, University of Melbourne 1924-1925 before accepting the position in Tasmania. His research contributed significantly to the statistical theory of estimation and the theory of non-parametric tests of significance.

Details

Born Melbourne, 29 October 1897. Died Kingston, near Hobart, 21 July 1993. Educated University of Melbourne (BA 1921, BSc 1922, MA 1923). Fourteenth Battalion, Australian Imperial Force 1918-19; Acting Professor of Mathematics, Canterbury College, University of New Zealand 1922-23; Tutor in mathematics and physics, Trinity College and Ormond College, and part-time lecturer in physics, University of Melbourne 1924-25; Professor of Mathematics, University of Tasmania 1926-62; honorary Education Officer, No. 6 Recruiting Centre RAAF and Wing Training Officer No. 6 Wing Air Training Corps during World War II. Fellow, Australian Academy of Science 1954; first winner of the Pitman Medal, established in his honour by the Statistical Society of Australia in 1978. President, Australian Mathematical Society 1959-60. Mathematics Library, University of Tasmania, named the Pitman Collection to mark his 90th birthday in 1987.

Related entries

Archival resources

University of Tasmania Library, Special/Rare Collection

• Edwin James George Pitman - Records, 1922 - 1993, UT543; University of Tasmania Library, Special/Rare Collection. Details

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Pitman, E. J. G., 'Charles Ernest Weatherburn, Professor of Mathematics', Mathematical Scientist, vol. 6, no. 11, 1981, pp. 1-12. Details
• Williams, E. J., 'Edwin James George Pitman 1897-1993', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 10, no. 2, 1994, pp. 163-185. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9941020163.htm. Details

Online Resources

• 'Pitman, Edwin J G', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1038051. Details
• Williams, Evan J., 'Edwin James George Pitman 1897-1993', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 2006, http://www.science.org.au/fellows/memoirs/pitman.html. Details

See also

• Paterson, M. S., 'John Conrad Jaeger 1907-1979', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 5, no. 3, 1982, pp. 64-88. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9820530064.htm. Details