John Ashley Spiers

ACR: CJohn Ashley Spiers(1920 – 1993)D.Phil. Oxford University 1948 2,5Dissertation: Some properties of elementary particles 2,4Advisor: Maurice Henry Lecorney Pryce 1,2,3,5Student: Roger John Blin-Stoyle 1Notes:1 Email communication with RJ Blin-Stoyle (10 Oct 2001).“1. I received my D.Phil in Oxford in 1951.2. My supervisor (advisor) was Dr. John Spiers (now deceased)3. He received his D.Phil in Oxford during the war years (I do notknow precisely which year). His supervisor was Prof. M H L Pryce FRS,the then Wykeham Professor of Physics in Oxford who is currentlyEmeritus Professor of Physics in the University of British Columbia,Canada. His advisor was Max Born (deceased) and he was married fora period to one of Born's daughters.”2 Spiers, J.A. Angular distribution of radioactive disintegration products.Nature 1948, 161(4099), 807-809.“I would like to express my thanks to Prof. M.H.L. Pryce for theinterest he has taken in these calculations.”3 Email communication with Erich Vogt for M Pryce (30 Sep 2002)“Pryce confirms that he was John Spiers supervisor and believesthat Spiers obtained his D. Phil. from Oxford in about 1952. Mauricehimself obtained his Ph. D. from Princeton University in 1937. Hecame on a fellowship from Cambridge University to Princeton, fullyexpecting to return to Cambridge for his doctorate. However, at thelast minute before his return to Britain the Princeton Physicsdepartment decided that Maurice should have a Princeton Ph. D. (anAmerican degree which was, of course, not recognized by Cambridgeor Oxford, so he remained Mr. Pryce in Britain). His Princeton his (sic)supervisor was the eminent relativity theorist, Howard PercyRobertson.”Created: 8/2/05Modified: 3/23/09

ACR: C4 Retrospective index to theses of Great Britain and Ireland 1716-1950;Bilboul, R. R., Ed.; ABC-Clio Press: Santa Barbara, CA, 1976; Vol. 4(Physical Sciences).5 Email communication with Brian Buck (16 Mar 2009)“Name: John Ashley SpiersBirth: April 2nd 1920 in ParisBritish CitizenEducation: Lycee Janson de Sailly, Paris 1928-1930Kings College School, Wimbledon, London, 1930-1938University: Oxford 1938-1939 (Royal Navy, 1939-1945)Oxford 1945-1948 (Wadham College)Degrees: BA, Physics Finals, First Class, 1946D.Phil, (Theoretical Physics) 1948Supervisor: M H L PryceThesis Title: Directional Effects in RadioactivityMarried: To Dr R AugustinDepartment: Theoretical Physics, 1949-(~1981)College: Founding Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford:1965Death: February 7th 1993 in Oxford”Created: 8/2/05Modified: 3/23/09