The term hysteresis entered the scientific lexicon through the research of James Alfred Ewing, a Scottish physicist who identified the phenomenon while studying how magnetisation lags behind applied electrical currents. Beyond this linguistic contribution, Ewing navigated a career defined by international engineering projects, academic administration, and service to the British Admiralty during a period of rapid technological industrialisation.
Formative Years and Early Expeditions
Born in 1855 in Dundee, James Alfred Ewing was the son of a Free Church of Scotland minister. His early interest in machines and chemical experiments often caused domestic disturbances. He received his education at the University of Edinburgh, studying under Peter Guthrie Tait. During summer breaks, he gained practical field experience participating in telegraph cable laying expeditions in Brazil, collaborating with William Thomson and Fleeming Jenkin.
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In 1878, Ewing accepted a role as a hired foreigner, or o-yatoi gaikokujin, to assist in the modernisation of Japan. Based at the Tokyo Imperial University as a professor of mechanical engineering, he instructed students in heat engines and electromagnetism. His work in Tokyo expanded to include seismology; between 1880 and 1895, he collaborated with Thomas Gray and John Milne to develop modern seismographs and helped establish the Seismological Society of Japan.
Academic Contributions at Dundee and Cambridge
Returning to Scotland in 1883, Ewing became the first Professor of Engineering at University College Dundee, where he campaigned for improved public sanitation. By 1890, he transitioned to the University of Cambridge as Professor of Mechanism and Applied Mechanics. His research there focused on the crystalline structure of metals and the mechanics of fatigue, providing the first proposal that fatigue failures originate in microscopic slip bands within materials.
Naval Education and Industrial Collaboration
Ewing maintained strong professional ties to industry, notably working with Charles Algernon Parsons on steam turbine development and participating in the 1897 sea trials of the Turbinia. In 1903, the Admiralty appointed him as the first Director of Naval Education. His administrative career later culminated in his service as a foreign government advisor and recognition as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
Fast facts
- Born: 1855, Dundee
- Died: 1935, Cambridge
- Notable contribution: Coined the term hysteresis
- Key employer: Tokyo Imperial University
- Major award: Royal Society Bakerian Medal (1899)
- Knighted: Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
- Collaborator: Charles Algernon Parsons
Questions readers ask
Did Ewing invent the seismograph?
He co-developed the first modern seismograph alongside Thomas Gray and John Milne between 1880 and 1895 while working in Japan.
What was his role in the development of the steam turbine?
He collaborated with Sir Charles Algernon Parsons and participated in the 1897 sea trials of the experimental vessel Turbinia.
Achievements
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
- Affiliated with University of Tokyo, University of Cambridge and University of Dundee
- Educated at University of Edinburgh
- Worked as civil engineer, physicist and engineer
