Frederic C. Williams

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Sir Frederic Calland Williams, Template:Post-nominals<ref name="frs"/><ref name="royal">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (26 June 1911 – 11 August 1977),<ref name="frs">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> known as F.C. Williams or Freddie Williams,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was an English engineer, a pioneer in radar and computer technology.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Anderson David, Delve Janet (2007) Frederic Calland Williams: the Manchester Baby's chief engineer IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 29 (4): 90-102</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Education

Williams was born in Romiley, Stockport, and educated at Stockport Grammar School.<ref name="frs"/> He gained a scholarship to study engineering at the University of Manchester where he was awarded Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1936<ref name="willyphd">Template:Cite thesis</ref> for research carried out as a postgraduate student of Magdalen College, Oxford.<ref name=whoswho>Template:Who's Who</ref>

Research and career

Working at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE), Williams was a substantial contributor during World War II to the development of radar.<ref name="biomanchester">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1946 he was appointed as head of the Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Manchester. There, with Tom Kilburn and Geoff Tootill, he built the first electronic stored-program digital computer, the Manchester Baby.<ref name="biomanchester" />

Williams is also recognised for his invention of the Williams tube, an early memory device.<ref name="biomanchester" /> He supervised the research of his PhD students Richard Grimsdale<ref name=grimphd>Template:Cite thesis</ref> and Tom Kilburn.<ref name=kilburnphd/>

Awards and honours

Williams was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1950. His nomination reads Template:Centered pull quote

Personal life

Williams died in Manchester in 1977, aged 66.

References

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