Morris Birkbeck Pell
Morris Birkbeck Pell (31 March 1827, Albion, Illinois, USA — 7 May 1879, Glebe, New South Wales, Australia) was an American-Australian mathematician, academic, government advisor, lawyer and actuary.[1] His maternal grandfather was Morris Birkbeck (1764-1825), the English social reformer and antislavery campaigner, author, publicist and agricultural innovator, who with George Flower, co-founded the English Settlement (Illinois) in the Illinois Territory, USA, 1816-18.
Morris Birkbeck's daughter Eliza (1797-1880) married Gilbert Titus Pell (1796-1860), who came from a prominent family of New York politicians. Gilbert's great great grandfather was Sir John Pell (1643-1702), Lord of Pelham Manor, New York, who was the son of Dr. John Pell and nephew and heir of Thomas Pell. Gilbert Pell served as a representative in the Illinois legislature and was later appointed United States envoy to Mexico in the 1850s. But the couple became estranged, and Eliza Birkbeck Pell moved back to England to be close to her son Morris while he attended Cambridge University. He graduated as senior wrangler in mathematics at Cambridge University in 1849 (i.e. the highest-scoring First-class Honours student of his year).
In 1852, when he was just 24 years old, and following in the footsteps of his illustrious ancestor Dr. John Pell (1611-1685), the famous English mathematician, Pell was chosen from twenty-six candidates to be the first Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in the now Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney.[1] He was one of the University's three foundation professors. Professor Pell gave the first lecture in Mathematics on 13 October 1852, two days after the University's inauguration, to all 24 students of the University. A student, William Windeyer, later to become Chancellor of the University, wrote in his diary: "Went to a lecture at 10 with Mr Pell, who amused as well as instructed, think I shall like him ...".[2]
In 1854 in evidence to a New South Wales Legislative Council select committee on education, Pell advocated the opening of a secular grammar school. In 1859 he testified to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly select committees on the Sydney Grammar School and the University of Sydney, on the composition of the University Senate, the adverse effect of clergy on enrolments, the new buildings, the value of liberal studies in the education of businessmen and squatters, and the beneficial effect of the university on secondary education. His evidence resulted in ex-officio membership of the University Senate for professors. He was a member of the Senate from 1861 to 1877 and after resignation was re-elected to the senate in 1878 by members of convocation.[1]
Pell was a member of the Australian Philosophical Society from 1856 and served on its council in 1858. Subsequently Queen Victoria granted Royal Assent to the Society and it was renamed the Royal Society of New South Wales. Pell was a member and its secretary from 1867, and a member of its council from 1869.
For many years almost crippled by an injury to his spine, Pell resigned in mid-1877 as professor of mathematics at Sydney University, on a pension of £412 10s. On 7 May 1879, aged 52, he died of "progressive paralysis" (see Motor neuron disease) and was buried in the Balmain Cemetery in Sydney. He was survived by his estranged wife Julia (nee Rusden), five sons and three daughters.
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