Savile

Sir Henry Savile

Born: 30 Nov 1549 in Bradley (near Halifax), Yorkshire, England
Died: 19 Feb 1622 in Eton, Berkshire, England

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Savile studied at Brasenose College Oxford and Merton College Oxford, graduating in 1570. He lectured at Oxford on geometry, in particular on Euclid, then in 1578 he travelled in Europe. On his return he became a Greek tutor. Then in 1585 he became Warden of Merton. In addition, he became Provost of Eton in 1596.

However Savile is most famous for founding two chairs at Oxford in 1619. Savile said that he established the Chairs to remedy the fact that

geometry is almost totally unknown and abandoned in England .

He gave the first geometry lecture himself. The Savilian chair of Geometry was first occupied by Briggs. Many famous mathematicians have held the chair. The second chair was the Savilian chair of Astronomy.

Savile also helped prepare the King James Version of the Bible.

References:

  1. Sir Henry Savile, Dictionary of National Biography L (London, 1897), 367-370.
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JOC/EFR February 1996