Clive Kilmister
I regret to have to report that Clive Kilmister died on the second of May 2010. Clive’s Ph D research was carried out at Queen Mary College where the cosmologist George McVittie was his supervisor. From 1950 until he retired in 1984 he spent his academic career in the Mathematics Department at King’s College London. In 1954, Hermann Bondi, Felix Pirani and Clive formed the nucleus of the King’s gravitational theory group, one of the small number of centres that initiated the renaissance of research on general relativity in the 1950’s. At one time Clive was a member of the International Committee on GRG and he was heavily involved in the organisation of the GR4 conference in London.
Clive had broad interests and at various times he was the president of the British Society for the History of Mathematics, the president of the Mathematical Association, and the president of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science. He was also Gresham Professor of Geometry from 1972 until 1988. As well as his research papers Clive wrote about a dozen books, including a number on relativity and classical mechanics. His Ph D research had been related to Eddington’s later work, which is opaque to most, and throughout his career he retained his interest in it. Later in life he and his long-term collaborator Ted Bastin became founding members of the Alternative Natural Philosophy Association. Together they wrote a number of books, the last of which “The Origin of Discrete Particles” was published in 2009.
Clive was noted for his willingness to undertake heavy administrative tasks. These he discharged amiably and efficiently. He was loved by the students and admired and respected by his grateful colleagues.
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David Robinson, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics,
Mathematics Department, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
Room K4U.22, Fourth floor King’s Building, Strand Campus.
My office telephone: +44 (0)20 7848 2221;
Maths Department Office: +44 (0)20 7848 2828
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