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in 1964, the first new university in
Scotland in 384 years, he became its first Principal and Vice Chancellor. While her husband was Principal, Joan founded the Strathclyde Women's Group and became its president. Joan Curran was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of
824:
324:. She and Curran developed a workable fuse, which was codenamed VT, an acronym of "Variable Time fuze". The system was a small, short-range, Doppler radar that used a clever circuit. However, Britain lacked the capacity to mass-produce the fuze, so the design was shown to the United States by the
868:
552:, was to be named in her honour, and the Joan Curran Summer House would be built there. Joan died on 10 February 1999, and was cremated at the Daldowie Crematorium. Her daughter, Sheena, three sons and three grandsons survived her.
848:
328:
in late 1940. The
Americans perfected and mass-produced the fuse. In due course, these proximity fuses arrived in the United Kingdom, where they played an important part in the defence of the kingdom against the
288:. She soon established a reputation for "extreme dexterity and being outstandingly neat and skilful in the deployment of equipment." In 1939, Dee proposed that the team spend a month at the
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1 to 2 centimetres (0.39 to 0.79 in) wide and 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long that could be scattered from bombers, thus disrupting the enemy's radar. Window was first employed in
475:
215:
454:
While at
Berkeley, Joan gave birth to her first child, a daughter, Sheena, who was born severely mentally handicapped. They later had three sons, all of whom went on to complete a
312:, where Dee and three others worked on developing rockets as anti-aircraft weapons, while Strothers and Curran joined a group under John Coles working on the development of the
740:
33:
234:, Charles William Strothers, and his wife, Margaret Beatrice, nÊe Millington. She was educated at Swansea Girls' High School, and in 1934 won an open scholarship to
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Strothers, who "had the scientific equivalent of gardening green fingers", was awarded a government grant to study for a higher degree, and elected to go to the
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262:, which was not awarded because it was before women were allowed Cambridge degrees. In her seventies, in 1987, she was honoured with the degree of
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were always at the forefront of her mind, and she did much to promote their welfare. She took a close interest in the work of the
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had been based in
Scotland, establishing ties between the community and Poland. Joan promoted a special relationship with the
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364:, while Joan joined the Counter Measures Group in an adjoining lab. It was with this group, at Swanage, and later at
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478:(Enable), which eventually grew to 100 branches and more than 5000 members. Later, when Joan was a member of the
415:
In early 1944 the
Currans were part of a group of British scientists invited to go to the US to take part in the
412:
later declared: "In my opinion, Joan Curran made an even greater contribution to victory, in 1945, than Sam."
443:, the director of the Radiation Laboratory. The mission of the laboratory was to develop the electromagnetic
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435:, a distinguished Australian scientist that Joan knew from the Cavendish Laboratory. Oliphant also acted as
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372:. She tried various types of radar reflectors, including wires and sheets, before settling on strips of
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1007:"Curran, Joan Elizabeth, Lady Curran, 1916-1999, scientist - University of Strathclyde Archives"
466:
After the war ended, Sam took up an offer from Dee to become
Professor of Natural Philosophy at
1286:
1114:
Fletcher, William (1 November 1999). "Sir Samuel Crowe Curran â 23 May 1912 25 February 1998".
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Strothers married Curran on 7 November 1940. Soon afterwards they were transferred to the
8:
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and helped improve the range of facilities, especially for disabled university students.
913:"Swansea scientist Joan made a huge difference to the world and should not be forgotten"
400:
and keep the
Germans unsure as to whether the brunt of the Allied assault would fall on
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Sam died on 25 February 1998. While gravely ill with cancer in 1998, Joan unveiled a
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dropping chaff (the crescent-shaped white cloud on the left of the picture) over
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1282:"The Woman Whose Invention Helped Win a War â and Still Baffles Weathermen"
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183:, was a Welsh physicist who played important roles in the development of
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from 1955 to 1959. He returned to
Glasgow in 1959 as principal of the
1089:
Technical and
Military Imperatives: A Radar History of World War II
487:
401:
373:
231:
669:
575:
Fletcher, Bill. "Joan
Elizabeth Curran, Lady Curran (1916â1999)".
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Scottish Society for the Parents of Mentally Handicapped Children
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381:
357:
259:
227:
216:
Scottish Society for the Parents of Mentally Handicapped Children
79:
60:
384:, and resulted in a much lower loss rate than usual. As part of
474:, the Currans, together with a few friends, in 1954 set up the
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Top Secret Exchange: the Tizard Mission and the Scientific War
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1233:(Contributions from Sir Samuel and Lady Curran, pp.
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NCBC Captain's log book (1935). Newnham College archives.
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Instead of returning to the Cavendish, the team moved to
226:
Joan Elizabeth Strothers was born on 26 February 1916 in
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to synthesise a phantom invasion force of ships in the
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730:"At last, a degree of honour for 900 Cambridge women"
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Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society
296:. They arrived on 1 September 1939. Two days later,
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1032:"Archives & Special Collections, Strathclyde"
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203:crews. She also worked on the development of the
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1249:. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.
533:for overseas, particularly Polish, students.
1204:
782:
581:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
214:In 1954 she became a founding member of the
179:(26 February 1916 â 10 February 1999), born
31:
1280:Fischer-Hwang, Irena (28 November 2018).
1244:
794:
354:Telecommunications Research Establishment
161:Telecommunications Research Establishment
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388:on 5â6 June 1944, Window was dropped by
335:
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578:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
511:Royal College of Science and Technology
300:and thus entered the Second World War.
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499:Atomic Weapons Research Establishment
165:Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
1374:Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge
1205:Latham, Colin; Stobbs, Anne (1999).
1148:Britain and Atomic Energy, 1935â1945
670:"The BNY Mellon Boat Races - Origin"
484:Scottish Special Housing Association
195:. She devised a method of releasing
1369:20th-century Welsh women scientists
1213:. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton.
698:Fletcher, Bill (16 February 1999).
561:
492:Council for Access for the Disabled
419:â the Allied project to develop an
303:
13:
1273:
1091:. New York: Taylor & Francis.
505:on the development of the British
14:
1435:
727:Chambers, Suzanna (31 May 1999).
625:Dalyell, Tam (19 February 1999).
284:in a team under the direction of
1399:Weapons scientists and engineers
1331:
1319:
1307:
1150:. London: Macmillan Publishing.
911:Turner, Robin (8 January 2015).
743:from the original on 9 June 2022
641:from the original on 9 June 2022
1024:
999:
962:
904:
298:Britain declared war on Germany
280:at Cambridge, where she joined
1424:Women on the Manhattan Project
1379:Deaths from cancer in Scotland
720:
662:
653:
37:Joan Curran at Newnham College
1:
1364:20th-century Welsh scientists
1231:– via Internet Archive.
1200:– via Internet Archive.
1064:. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
1052:
461:
429:Berkeley Radiation Laboratory
348:during a thousand-bomber raid
242:. In 1935, she rowed for the
221:
211:process for the atomic bomb.
1389:People associated with radar
595:UK public library membership
527:Technical University of Lodz
523:Polish 1st Armoured Division
480:Greater Glasgow Health Board
290:Royal Aircraft Establishment
230:, Wales, the daughter of an
7:
16:Welsh physicist (1916â1999)
10:
1440:
974:Atomic Heritage Foundation
1245:Zimmerman, David (1996).
1036:stratharchives.tumblr.com
515:University of Strathclyde
451:for use in atomic bombs.
431:in California, headed by
316:. Strothers was based at
271:University of Strathclyde
170:
152:
145:
140:University of Strathclyde
130:
118:
102:
87:
68:
42:
30:
23:
1384:Manhattan Project people
1062:No. 617 "Dambusters" Sqn
783:Latham & Stobbs 1999
555:
244:ladies' university eight
207:and the electromagnetic
181:Joan Elizabeth Strothers
47:Joan Elizabeth Strothers
1394:Scientists from Swansea
628:"Obituary: Joan Curran"
380:, a series of raids on
96:University of Cambridge
1414:Welsh women scientists
1409:Welsh women physicists
1128:10.1098/rsbm.1999.0041
1060:Bateman, Alex (2009).
587:10.1093/ref:odnb/71958
360:, where Sam worked on
349:
1087:Brown, Louis (1999).
1011:atom.lib.strath.ac.uk
518:Strathclyde in 1987.
513:. When it became the
339:
1287:Smithsonian Magazine
1182:. London: Hamilton.
294:Farnborough Airfield
278:Cavendish Laboratory
246:, in the first real
157:Cavendish Laboratory
996:, pp. 102â103.
959:, pp. 100â101.
944:, pp. 256â260.
809:, pp. 174â180.
797:, pp. 119â120.
672:. Boat Race Company
521:During the war the
486:, the needs of the
134:Honorary degree of
1338:Nuclear technology
1326:History of science
1160:Reprinted (2001):
821:, pp. 99â100.
497:Sam worked at the
468:Glasgow University
447:process to create
445:isotope separation
423:. They joined the
378:Operation Gomorrah
350:
209:isotope separation
1256:978-0-7735-6597-5
1220:978-0-7509-2120-6
1209:Pioneers of Radar
1189:978-0-241-89746-1
1166:978-0-333-02685-4
1098:978-0-7503-0659-1
1071:978-1-84603-429-9
901:, pp. 67â69.
593:(Subscription or
417:Manhattan Project
386:Operation Taxable
362:centimetric radar
248:Women's boat race
177:Joan, Lady Curran
174:
173:
147:Scientific career
1431:
1419:Wives of knights
1404:Welsh physicists
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1144:Gowing, Margaret
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970:"Joan E. Curran"
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449:enriched uranium
398:Straits of Dover
304:Second World War
254:. She gained an
193:Second World War
75:
72:10 February 1999
57:26 February 1916
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1274:Further reading
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1178:Most Secret War
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634:The Independent
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550:Loch Lomondside
538:memorial plaque
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441:Ernest Lawrence
425:British Mission
390:Avro Lancasters
331:V-1 flying bomb
322:Durnford School
306:
236:Newnham College
224:
163:
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113:proximity fuzes
110:
92:Newnham College
88:Alma mater
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795:Zimmerman 1996
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785:, p. 196.
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559:
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531:Endowment fund
463:
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326:Tizard Mission
314:proximity fuse
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264:Doctor of Laws
256:honours degree
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205:proximity fuse
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136:Doctor of Laws
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103:Known for
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773:, p. 98.
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771:Fletcher 1999
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707:
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700:"Lady Curran"
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507:hydrogen bomb
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433:Mark Oliphant
430:
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406:Pas de Calais
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124:Samuel Curran
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106:Invention of
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1039:. Retrieved
1035:
1026:
1014:. Retrieved
1010:
1001:
989:
977:. Retrieved
973:
964:
922:. Retrieved
918:Wales Online
916:
906:
899:Bateman 2009
894:
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826:
814:
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790:
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745:. Retrieved
734:
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710:. Retrieved
703:
674:. Retrieved
664:
655:
643:. Retrieved
632:
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520:
496:
465:
453:
436:
414:
394:617 Squadron
351:
318:Leeson House
307:
275:
225:
213:
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176:
175:
153:Institutions
146:
98:(B.A., M.A.)
74:(1999-02-10)
18:
1359:1999 deaths
1354:1916 births
1041:21 February
1016:21 February
979:21 February
942:Gowing 1964
877:, pp.
857:, pp.
833:, pp.
546:Ross Priory
542:Barony Hall
503:Aldermaston
421:atomic bomb
410:R. V. Jones
191:during the
189:atomic bomb
25:Joan Curran
1348:Categories
1229:1194912122
1122:: 95â109.
1107:1066683884
1080:1100841914
1053:References
875:Jones 1978
855:Jones 1978
831:Jones 1978
807:Brown 1999
705:The Herald
597:required.)
462:Later life
439:deputy to
404:or in the
286:Philip Dee
282:Sam Curran
222:Early life
82:, Scotland
53:1916-02-26
1314:Biography
1265:884280512
1198:644298217
1136:0080-4606
708:. Glasgow
342:Lancaster
240:Cambridge
126:(m. 1940)
1174:(1978).
1146:(1964).
747:14 March
741:Archived
712:14 March
676:15 March
645:14 March
639:Archived
488:disabled
482:and the
437:de facto
402:Normandy
374:tin foil
250:against
232:optician
187:and the
111:Work on
1300:Portals
1156:3195209
472:Glasgow
427:at the
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