Jack Howlett

Jack Howlett CBE (1912 – 5 May 1999) was a British mathematician and computer scientist who was head of the Atlas Computer Laboratory for the duration of its existence.

He was educated at Stand Grammar School, Manchester and read mathematics at Manchester University. He was awarded a PhD in 1944 for research on the Numerical Integration of Partial Differential Equations.

He worked with the research department of the LMS Railway from 1935 to 1940. He often described his relief when his calculations of the performance of a new braking system were tested successfully on a real steam locomotive complete with sceptical crew.

During the war he worked in research establishments on numerical analysis, under experts including Douglas Hartree, and using equipment such as early mechanical differential analyzers. This was applied to various problems including the atomic bomb project code-named Tube Alloys.

In 1948 he became head of the Computing Section in Theoretical Physics Division, AERE Harwell. He worked on many of the early reactor projects.

In 1966 he was elected Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford. He was a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

He was awarded the CBE in the New Years Honours List of 1969.

He was married to Joan, with whom he had five children. He enjoyed a wide range of musical and artistic activities, was a keen Scottish country dancer, took part in amateur dramatics, and enjoyed cycling and hill-walking. He was known to colleagues for his colourful dress sense and for his lively inquiring mind, extending well beyond narrow professional interests.

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