Rushton, William

This collection comprises the personal papers of Professor William Albert Hugh Rushton, physiologist. It primarily reflects the research carried out by Professor Rushton, initially on nerve physiology and then visual physiology particularly colour vision. A substantial part of the collection comprises individual and collaborative scientific publications and research working papers, with the larger quantity of material relating to visual physiology. There is also a significant amount of material documenting the work of some of his peers and mentors as well as a series of correspondence. The collection incorporates a small amount of material regarding his association and involvement with the Society of Psychical Research.

c.1900-1982

17 boxes

The collection is arranged in 7 sections as follows:
A: Biographical and Personal,1928-1982
B: Research Working Papers, 1928-1978
C: Addresses, Lectures and Foreign Visits, 1952-c.1980
D: Scientific Publications by Professor W A H Rushton, 1928-1978
E: Peers and Mentors, c.1900-1977
F: Psychophysical Material, 1966-1971
G: Correspondence. 1920-1979

The papers were donated by Professor Rushton's son Adrian Rushton, 1998.

Professor W A H Rushton was born in London on December 8 1901. He entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1921 to study medicine and later advanced physiology, obtaining his PhD in 1928. He first achieved scientific recognition for his work on peripheral nerve excitability and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1948 on the basis of this work. After a two year spell (1929-1931) at the University of Pennsylvania, he returned to England to spend the major part of the 1930s between Cambridge University (as a research fellow) and University College Hospital, London (to complete his clinical medicine studies). He spent the Second World War years teaching medical students in Cambridge.

The impetus for his change in career came after he spent a year at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm with Professor Ragnar Granit in 1948-1949. From the 1950s his work was focussed almost entirely on visual physiology, eventually doing some ground breaking work in measuring visual pigment in living eyes. Over the next 30 years he published 155 research papers, many of which reflected collaborative work with other visual physiologists. In the 1970s he furthered research in colour vision anomalies. One of his great strengths was his interest and enthusiasm to be involved in the construction of equipment for the various experiments he carried out, for example an anamoloscope and densitometer for visual physiology work.

Through the course of his career he held several significant posts including Director of Medical Studies, 1938-1963, Trinity College Cambridge; Emeritus Professor Visual Physiology, University of Cambridge; Distinguished Research Professor,1968-1975, Florida State University, USA.

Professor Rushton and his wife Marjorie had five children. Music played an important role in family life, with all members playing at least one instrument. He died at home in Cambridge in June 1980 of complications resulting from cerebro-vascular disease that had plagued him for much of the previous decade.

This collection has been catalogued and is available to library members. Some items have access restrictions which are explained in the item-level catalogue records.

Online Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue

English, a small amount of material in French, Russian and German.