Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy
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The Plumian chair of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy is one of the two major Professorships in Astronomy at Cambridge University, alongside the Lowndean Professorship. The Plumian chair was founded in 1704 by Thomas Plume, a member of Christ's and Archdeacon of Rochester, to "erect an Observatory and to maintain a studious and learned Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, and to buy him and his successors utensils and instruments quadrants telescopes etc."
The first Professorship was awarded to Roger Cotes in 1707, a former student of Isaac Newton, and the stipend was increased in 1768 by Dr Robert Smith, the second Plumian Professor.
Plumian Professors
- Roger Cotes (1707-1716)
- Robert Smith (1716-1760)
- Anthony Shepherd (1760-1796)
- Samuel Vince (1796-1822)
- Robert Woodhouse (1822-1828)
- George Airy (1828-1836)
- James Challis (1836-1883)
- George Darwin (1883-1912)
- Arthur Eddington (1913-1944)
- Harold Jeffreys (1946-1958)
- Fred Hoyle (1958-1972)
- Martin Rees (1973-1991)
- Richard Ellis (1993-2000)
- Jeremiah Ostriker (2001-)