Lancelot Hogben
Lancelot Thomas Hogben was an influential British biologist, educator, and author, born on December 9, 1895, in Southsea, England. He was a conscientious objector during World War I, leading to his imprisonment in 1916, after which he pursued advanced studies in biology, ultimately earning degrees from Trinity College, Cambridge, and the University of London. Over his distinguished career, Hogben held various academic positions across the globe, teaching subjects such as zoology and experimental physiology at prestigious institutions including the University of Edinburgh and McGill University.
Hogben's work in medical statistics during World War II was notable, and he was also the vice chancellor of the University of Guyana in the 1960s. As a prolific writer, he published numerous books aimed at both academic and general audiences, with popular titles like "Mathematics for the Million" and "Science for the Citizen," which sought to make complex scientific concepts accessible through engaging language and illustrations. His contributions extended to children's literature, where he authored books like "The Wonderful World of Mathematics." Although much of his work is now considered outdated, "Mathematics for the Million" remains in print and is valued for its entertaining approach to mathematics. Hogben passed away on August 22, 1975.
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Lancelot Hogben
- Born: December 9, 1895
- Birthplace: Southsea, Hampshire, England
- Died: August 22, 1975
Biography
Lancelot Thomas Hogben was born on December 9, 1895, in Southsea, England. His father, Thomas Hogben, was a seaman’s parson, and his mother, Margaret Alice Prescott Hogben, was a homemaker. Hogben was a conscientious objector during World War I, and was imprisoned in 1916. When he was released because of poor health, he began his graduate studies. Hogben earned a master’s degree in biology from Trinity College in Cambridge, and a doctorate from the University of London. He became a lecturer in zoology at the University of London’s Imperial College of Science in 1919.
For the next forty-six years, he was a scholar and administrator at colleges and universities throughout the world. He taught experimental physiology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, from 1923 to 1925; zoology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from 1925 to 1927; zoology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa from 1927 to 1930; social biology at the University of London from 1930 to 1937; medical statistics at the University of Birmingham in England from 1947 to 1961; and he was the vice chancellor of the University of Guyana in South America from 1963 to 1965.
Hogben’s love of travel was tested in 1940, when he and his daughter were trapped in Oslo, Norway, after the Germans invaded. To return to their home in England, they traveled twenty thousand miles through Europe and the United States, an adventure recounted in Author in Transit (1940). During World War II, he was in charge of medical statistics for the British Army. Hogben was married twice. In 1918 he married the statistician Dr. Enid Charles, and the couple had two daughters and two sons. In 1957, after a divorce, he married Sarah Jane Evans. He died on August 22, 1975.
Hogben’s writing career began in 1924 with The Pigmentary Effector System: A Review of the Physiology of Colour Response. Over the next fifty years, Hogben published more than two dozen books on scientific and mathematical topics. Although several were scholarly works for academics, he is best known for his popular books for general readers, including Mathematics for the Million (1937), Science for the Citizen (1938) and The Beginnings of Science (1970). In these books, Hogben attempted to explain difficult technical concepts for non-technical audiences, using witty language and clever illustrations.
He also wrote or edited ten books for children, with titles such as The Wonderful World of Mathematics (1955) and Beginnings and Blunders: Or, Before Science Began (1970). Most of Hogben’s work has become out of date and gone out of print. Mathematics for the Million is still in print, in a 1993 revised edition, and considered an entertaining introduction to calculation and measurement.