Abstract
WHEN the impending retirement of Prof. Karl Pearson from the Galton chair of eugenics and from the directorship of the Biometric Laboratory at University College, London, was announced last year, it was felt desirable that steps should be taken to commemorate the pre-eminent services which he had rendered to University College, to the University of London and to science, during nearly half a century. An influential committee under the chairmanship of Prof. L. N. G. Filon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, therefore decided to raise a commemoration fund for the purpose; Dr. Ethel Elderton acted as honorary secretary and Dr. David Heron as honorary treasurer of the fund. As a result of the appeal then made, subscriptions amounting to more than £600 were received and at a dinner in Prof. Pearson's honour at University College on April 23, under the chairmanship of Prof. Filon, attended by some hundred subscribers, there were presented to Prof. Pearson a bronze portrait plaque, a book containing the signatures of all the subscribers and a cheque for the balance of the fund,£440; a Brunsviga calculating machine for his personal use had previously been presented to him. The bronze plaque, of which a copy is to be presented to University College, and a small reproduction to each subscriber, bears the following inscription: “Presented to Professor Karl Pearson, M.A., LL.D. F.K.S., by students, colleagues and friends on his retirement after having been a Professor of University College, London, for forty-nine years, in grateful commemoration of his research, teaching and inspiration.” The balance of the fund is to be devoted to the completion or publication of such work of Prof. Pearson or his pupils as he may select or to the advancement in any other way of the branches of science with which his name will always be associated. Prof. Filon, in making the presentation, paid eloquent tribute to Prof. Pearson's distinction in so many fields, and was followed by Mr. G. Udny Yule, who gave very interesting personal reminiscences of work and holidays with “K. P.”.
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Presentation to Prof. Karl Pearson, F.R.S. Nature 133, 639–640 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133639d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133639d0