Gordon Miller Bourne Dobson, 25 February 1889 - 11 March 1976

Abstract

Gordon Miller Bourne Dobson was born on 25 February 1889 and died on 10 March 1976. His great achievements stem from his ability as an experimentalist of unusual ingenuity. Much of his life was devoted to the observation and study of atmospheric ozone, results from which were to be of great importance in leading to an understanding of the structure and circulation of the stratosphere. On 9 January 1975, Dobson spent some time with one of us recording some reminiscences of his early life and of people who influenced his scientific career. We include, with the minimum of editing, a number of excerpts from the transcript of his tape. 1. Early life Dobson’s father, Thomas Dobson, M.D., who came from farming stock from Knott End in the Fylde district of Lancashire, practised as a general medical practitioner in Windermere. His mother, Marianne Bourne, was a friend of one of Thomas Dobson’s patients. In 1886 they built Knott End, a large house with substantial grounds in an isolated position above the lake, and in 1892 Thomas Dobson was able to retire and live as a respected country gentleman, involved in local farming and building projects. Gordon was born at Knott End; he was 17 years younger than his sister Alice, 15 years younger than his sister Kate, and 12 years younger than his only brother Harry. From childhood he showed an interest in practical things; when a young boy he set up a field telephone between the house and the stable.