The links on this page tell of MacAulays of fame(for various reasons!)
Francis Sowerby Macaulay was an associate editor of the Mathematical Gazette for many years. He also contributed a number of articles: Bolyai's science of absolute space (1900), On continued fractions (1900), Projective geometry (1906), On the axioms and postulates employed in the elementary plane constructions (1906), On a problem in mechanics and the number of its solutions (1906), and Some inequalities connected with a method of representing positive integers (1930).
Francis Macaulay's father, the Rev Samuel Macaulay, was a Minister in the Methodist Church. He sent his son Francis to a school for the sons of Methodist Ministers in Bath, namely Kingswood School. Graduating from Kingswood School in 1879, Macaulay entered St John's College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with distinction, being eighth Wrangler (ranked eighth in the list of First Class students) in the Mathematical Tripos of June 1882. In January of the following year he was placed seventh in the advanced papers of the Tripos.
Francis Macaulay was not the only member of his family who excelled at mathematics.
A brother, familiarly known to his contemporaries at Cambridge in 1886 as "Macaulay of Caius", was remarkable for his devotion to the theory of quaternions, and had a successful career as Professor of Mathematics in the antipodes.
After graduating from Cambridge, Macaulay returned to Kingswood School in Bath in 1883, where he himself had studied, and taught mathematics there for two years. He then went to London in 1885, becoming a teacher at St Paul's School. In this school he taught the top mathematical class, which often contained outstanding pupils, and he encouraged them into a research career in mathematics, particularly at Cambridge. Two such students were Watson and Littlewood and we know of the teaching methods employed by Macaulay through the writing of Littlewood.
There was little formal instruction; students were directed to read widely but thoroughly, encouraged to be self-reliant, and inspired to look forward to pursuing research in mathematics.
In the 25 years from [Macaulay's] appointment to St Paul's in 1885 to his resignation in 1911 there were 41 scholarships (34 at Cambridge) and 11 exhibitions; and in the 20 years available there were 4 senior wranglers, one second, and one fourth among his former pupils.
Macaulay married in 1923
He wrote 14 papers on algebraic geometry and polynomial ideals. The papers look at algebraic curves, the Riemann-Roch theorem and algebraic polynomials. It is important pioneering work in the development of algebraic geometry. In 1915 Macaulay discovered the primary decomposition of an ideal in a polynomial ring, which is the analogue of the decomposition of a number into a product of prime powers. This work was independent of that done by Lasker in 1905.
The passage of time since Macaulay published The algebraic theory of modular systems in 1916 has shown us what a remarkable work this is in the development of modern mathematics. The book has recently been reissued, eighty years after it was first published, not merely as an historical document but also because Macaulay's ideas are still highly relevant to present day research.
What ideas were there then in this work? The main theme underlying the book is the problem of solving equations of systems of polynomials in several variables. Such problems have no complete solution, but Macaulay looks for structural properties of the set of solutions. In other words, in today's terminology, he is examining ideals in polynomial rings. This leads Macaulay to study Lasker's decomposition of ideals into primary ideals (the analogue of the decomposition of an integer into prime powers) and he also looks at properties which today surround the theory of Gröbner bases.
Littlewood writes:
No one in England knew about his subject, and I believe he was very little in touch with workers abroad: he never spoke of his work, did not expect recognition in his life-time, and even when he was put up for the Fellowship of the Royal Society did not expect to be elected. In this, of course, he exaggerated, and his election gave him profound pleasure.
Where have Macaulay's ideas led in today's mathematics? Well the ideas in this book have led to ideal theory studied by Krull (see W Krull, Idealtheorie, Berlin, 1935), to Cohen-Macaulay rings, so named by Zariski and Samuel (see O Zariski and P Samuel, Commutative Algebra, Princeton, NJ, 1958), the notion of perfectness (studied in W Gröbner, Moderne algebraische Geometrie, Vienna, 1949), and to the notion of Gorenstein rings.
Private David MacAulay DCM MM ((1875-1918)
'Jock The Sniper'
The luck ran out for David Macaulay on 18 October 1918. He was one of 30 men killed when two companies of the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers were ordered to attack the hamlet of Rejet de Beaulieu just west of the Sambre et Oise Canal. It was during one of the last allied offensives at the end of four appalling years on the Western Front. Three weeks later the Armistice was signed.
Private David Macaulay was one of just a handful of men still serving in the battalion from the heady days of August 1914 when they all set off for France with high hopes of a quick victory. But David Macaulay was more that just another casualty of that terrible war.
The regimental archives contained little information about David Macaulay himself. Yet he is one of the few private soldiers whose exploits are documented in the regimental history. Nevertheless he is a bit of a mystery. Some four years ago I wrote an article for The Western Mail to see if I could locate the Macaulay family to find out more about this unknown gallant soldier; the article produced no response. However, a few weeks ago I received an unexpected call from Mr. Duxbury of Stockport who turned out to be David Macaulay's grandson. His story about his grandfather was at first hard to believe.
David Macaulay was born on 12th August 1875 at New Street, Paisley; his parents were John and Agnes Macaulay. David initially worked in the local shipyards as a riveter. In December 1906, he married Mary Donnelly, also from Paisley. After the birth of their daughter in 1907, David Macaulay joined the Merchant Navy.
He was in Valparaiso, Chile when news of the likelihood of a war in Europe reached him. When his ship finally docked in Cardiff, he took his discharge from the Merchant Navy and enlisted in the army. After training he was posted to 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers and was one of nearly 1,000 men who sailed to France from Gloucester Castle on 12th August 1914 (incidentally his 39th birthday). After the retreat from Mons, there was stalemate on the Western Front. In October 1915, patrols were frequently sent out into no-man's land at Loos. One of these patrols, consisting of Private Macaulay and two other men, encountered a much stronger German party and was forced to retire. However, Macaulay remained behind to cover his comrades' retreat, killed two Germans at close quarters and eventually escaped, bringing his opponents helmets back as trophies. Private Macaulay received the Distinguished Conduct Medal and later the Croix de Guerre from the French for his gallantry. He earned the nickname 'Jock The Sniper'.
Later, in May 1916 in the same sector, the battalion's patrols in no-man's land were very energetic and had several brushes with the enemy. On one occasion, Privates Quicke and Macaulay were out near the German wire when the enemy opened fire on another patrol. One man was hit and the Germans came out to capture him, whereupon Quicke and Macaulay turned the tables by opening fire, driving the Germans off, and they were able to help the wounded man to safety. Macaulay received a bar to his Distinguished Conduct Medal for this action.
During the three years in the trenches Private Macaulay had never been wounded by shot or shell. However, in August 1917, as the result of an accident, he was sent home for an operation on both his knees and was subsequently discharged from the army through ill health. On his recovery he was sent to work in a factory in Newport. Finding life dull, he returned to the sea and made several voyages. During one of these voyages his ship was torpedoed by a German U-Boat, but being a good swimmer he was able to keep himself afloat for several hours until rescued and brought safely to land. Eventually he returned to Cardiff Docks and applied to get reinstated in his old regiment - 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers. He was successful and Private Macaulay returned to the trenches.
It was on 15th September 1918, during the great allied offensive on to Hindenburg Line, near Omignon, that the battalion made great progress sustaining only a few casualties. Twenty prisoners were taken and four enemy machine guns were captured. Private Macaulay was one of a number of soldiers of the 1st Battalion to be awarded the Military Medal.
Private David Macaulay was described as the bravest man of his regiment. His record of gallantry awards was unique for a private soldier. He consistently gave inspiration to many in difficult and trying conditions.
The Woman Who Changed a Nation
By Kira Albin, interview conducted in 1996
Photos courtesy of Monica Morgan Photography and ZondervanPublishingHouse
When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on December 1, 1955, she was tired and weary from a long day of work.
At least that's how the event has been retold countless times and recorded in our history books. But, there's a misconception here that does not do justice to the woman whose act of courage began turning the wheels of the civil rights movement on that fateful day.
Rosa Parks was physically tired, but no more than you or I after a long day's work. In fact, under other circumstances, she would have probably given up her seat willingly to a child or elderly person. But this time Parks was tired of the treatment she and other African Americans received every day of their lives, what with the racism, segregation, and Jim Crow laws of the time.
"Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it," writes Parks in her recent book, Quiet Strength, (ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1994). "I kept thinking about my mother and my grandparents, and how strong they were. I knew there was a possibility of being mistreated, but an opportunity was being given to me to do what I had asked of others."
The rest of Parks' story is American history...her arrest and trial, a 381-day Montgomery bus boycott, and, finally, the Supreme Court's ruling in November 1956 that segregation on transportation is unconstitutional.
But Parks' personal history has been lost in the retelling. Prior to her arrest, Mrs. Parks had a firm and quiet strength to change things that were unjust. She served as secretary of the NAACP and later Adviser to the NAACP Youth Council, and tried to register to vote on several occasions when it was still nearly impossible to do so. She had run-ins with bus drivers and was evicted from buses. Parks recalls the humiliation: "I didn't want to pay my fare and then go around the back door, because many times, even if you did that, you might not get on the bus at all. They'd probably shut the door, drive off, and leave you standing there."
Forty years later, despite some tremendous gains, Parks feels, "we still have a long way to go in improving the race relations in this country."
Rosa Parks spends most of her year in Detroit but winters in Los Angeles. Her day is filled with reading mail,-"from students, politicians, and just regular people"-preparing meals, going to church, and visiting people in hospitals. She is still active in fighting racial injustices, now standing up for what she believes in and sharing her message with others. She and other members of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development have a special program called Pathways to Freedom, for young people age 11-18. Children in the program travel across the country tracing the Underground Railroad, visiting the scenes of critical events in the civil rights movement and learning aspects of America's history.
Says Elaine Steele, Parks' close friend and cofounder of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, "Mrs. Parks is a role model that these students look up to, and they feel very honored and privileged to be in her company. And she's very gracious to accompany the students to these activities."
February, Black History Month, seemed a relevant time to evaluate youth and their sense of history. But Parks thinks bigger and broader. "We don't have enough young people who are concerned and who are exposed to the civil rights movement, and I would like to see more exposure and get their interest," she says, pausing to reflect, "but I think it should just be history, period, and not thinking in terms of only Black History Month."
Parks is quiet, soft-spoken, and diplomatic. But she is firm in her belief that enough people will have the courage and dedication to make this country better than it is. "And this young man that's taking over the NAACP, Kweisi Mfume, I admire him a great deal," she adds. About Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Black Muslims, she says, "Well, I don't know him personally, but I think it was great that he spearheaded the million man march."
Parks has met many renowned leaders and has traveled throughout the world receiving honors and awards for her efforts toward racial harmony. She is appreciative and honored by them but exhibits little emotion over whom she has met or what she has done. Her response to being called "the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" is modest. "If people think of me in that way, I just accept the honor and appreciate it," she says. In Quiet Strength, however, Parks is careful to explain that she did not change things alone. "Four decades later I am still uncomfortable with the credit given to me for starting the bus boycott. I would like [people] to know I was not the only person involved. I was just one of many who fought for freedom."
In August 1994, Parks was attacked in her home by a young man who wanted money from her. Of the event, she writes, "I pray for this young man and the conditions in our country that have made him this way. Despite the violence and crime in our society, we should not let fear overwhelm us. We must remain strong."
Parks' belief in God and her religious convictions are at the core of everything she does. It is the overriding theme in her book and the message she hopes to impart: "I'd like for [readers] to know that I had a very spiritual background and that I believe in church and my faith and that has helped to give me the strength and courage to live as I did."
Strength in Numbers
Donations to help support and expand Pathways to Freedom, are welcomed. Send a check or money order to: Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, 65 Cadillac Square, Suite 2200, Detroit, MI 48226.
Thomas Bassett Macaulay (1860-1942), following in his father, Robertson Macaulay's, footsteps, joined Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life) at the young age of 17 in 1877. Over the next 47 years, his duties included that of Actuary, Secretary, Managing Director and finally, President. Under his leadership the Company became the largest assurance company in Canada and one of the world's leading life assurance institutions.
A distinguished career as an actuary…. After three years of intensive private study, T.B. Macaulay was appointed the Company's Actuary at age 20. In 1881, he was elected as an Associate of the Institute of Actuaries of Great Britain, without examination. When Canadian students were finally able to take the Institution's examinations, he passed them all in just three years. This accomplishment was achieved while executing his onerous executive duties in the relatively young Company.
Mr. Macaulay went on to be elected as a Charter Member and Fellow of the Actuarial Society of America. He served as President of that body for two terms. At the International Congress of Actuaries held in Paris in 1900, he was elected Vice President representing Canada and the United States and was later re-elected to that office at the Berlin Conference of 1906. T.B. Macaulay also represented the Actuarial Society of America as Vice President for Canada at the International Congresses held in London in both 1903 and 1927, and was named a Fellow of both the Royal Statistical and Royal Economical Societies.
Leadership and innovation at Sun Life …. Under the direction of T.B. Macaulay, Sun Life began issuing unconditional policies in the 1880s, the first company in the world to remove policy restrictions on travel, occupation, residence and suicide. While initially drawing much criticism from larger and more established companies, the issuing of such policies soon became a worldwide practice.
Other innovations directed by Mr. Macaulay followed. Sun Life was the first company in North America to introduce a lien arrangement in 1894. This practice placed a lien against a person in poor health but would allow people with serious health risks to obtain assurance. By the end of the century, another North American first, the Automatic Premium Loan system, would also be introduced. The Automatic Premium Loan automatically used the cash value of a policy to set up a loan to pay any unpaid premiums.
During the Company's formative years, Mr. Macaulay realizing the limitations of the small Canadian market, set out on an international expansion plan for Sun Life. Commencing in the West Indies in the 1880s and continuing on to Asia, Central and South America in the 1890s, the Company expanded its global reach to over 55 countries by the mid 1920s. Under Mr. Macaulay's direction, new premium rates and products were developed and used in each of its international operations.
Investment policies under T.B. Macaulay also took on greater significance. The Company looked to common stock investments to increase the Company's surplus and it was T.B. Macaulay who was one of the first to realize the potential of the new electricity and public utility developments and the related investment opportunities that they created. The Company achieved great prosperity under Mr. Macaulay's investment policies. However, the 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression led Sun Life to re-evaluate its investment practices.
Public Service & Philanthropic Activities … Not content with just improving the field of assurance, T.B. Macaulay was also greatly interested in improving the quality of life in other areas. He owned and operated the Mount Victoria Farms in Hudson Heights, Quebec. His improvements in Holstein cattle breeding were such that by 1958, 80% of all of Canada's Holsteins could be traced back to his farm. In his father's native Scotland, he founded the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research in Aberdeen, and contributed to building projects in Aberdeen and Stornoway.
Macaulay was President and co-founder of the Canadian-West Indian League and represented the Leeward Islands at the Canada-West Indies Trade Conference. He also founded the Brotherhood movement in Canada and served as Honorary President of the Navy League of Canada. During the latter part of the First World War, he served as Dominion Chairman of the National Committee on Food Resources.
T.B. Macaulay's received honorary degrees from the Universities of McGill in Montreal and Aberdeen and Edinburgh in Scotland in recognition of his many accomplishments. The Sun Life Board of Directors elected him Chairman Emeritus upon his retirement as the Company's President in 1934.
The Reverend William Macaulay
More than a spiritual leader of the community, MacAulay was an influential landowner in Picton and left an architectural legacy in the buildings at Macaulay Heritage Park.
In 1800, then six-year old William Macaulay inherited 500 acres of land near the settlement of Hallowell Bay. William Macaulay was educated at Dr. Stewart's Academy in Cornwall under the tutelage of Reverend John Strachan and studied theology at Queen's College at Oxford. Macaulay was originally sent to this area as a missionary. He first established a school on a portion of his property and in 1823 organised the Parish of Hallowell. He donated the land for the church and paid for much of its construction from his personal wealth. In 1831, William Macaulay donated land for the construction of the new district courthouse which is located on Union Street and still in use. William was twice married, first to Ann Catherine Geddes who died childless in 1849 and then to Charlotte Levesconte. Reverend William Macaulay was instrumental in the naming of the town of Picton. William Macaulay died in 1874 at the age of eighty. His remains were interred in the Cemetery at old St. Mary Magdalene's. The Friends of Macaulay Heritage Park are on hand to share their knowledge of the Macaulay Family and life as it was in Macaulay's Picton.