Dill Faulkes

Martin C. "Dill" Faulkes
Born1944

Martin C. "Dill" Faulkes (born 1944) is a British businessman.

Faulkes has a Special Mathematics degree from Hull University,[1] a PhD in mathematics from Queen Elizabeth College, London and did postdoctoral work in general relativity.

He then left academia and went into software. He worked for the company Logica, then SPL, which was bought by Systems Designers. He then invested money in a variety of software companies and made a lot of money on the flotation of Triad and the private sale of SmartGroups.com.

Philanthropy

He is chair of the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust[2] which has made donations to a number of scientific causes including the Faulkes Telescope Project.

Faulkes contributed towards the building of Cambridge University's Centre for Mathematical Sciences and has the Faulkes Gatehouse and Faulkes Institute for Geometry named after him.[3]

Faulkes is a gliding enthusiast[4] having been part of Hull University's Flying Squadron as a student[5] and for a time subsidised "mini-lessons" for children in gliding via the Faulkes Flying Foundation.

His trust has also funded "Bell projects" including replacing the bells at Trinity Church (Manhattan).[6]

Honours and awards

Faulkes has been made an honorary fellow by some UK academic institutions such as the E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics at Hull University.[7] and in 2017 at Cardiff University.[8] He subsequently returned a honorary doctorate awarded by the University of South Wales in protest at the university's decision to close its observational astronomy course.[9]

He has had an asteroid (47144 Faulkes) named after him.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Inspired in Hull with Dill Faulkes – "From Hull to the Cosmos: Maths and My Life in Astrophysics"". www.milnehull.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Trustees, THE DILL FAULKES EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED - 1070864, Register of Charities - The Charity Commission". register-of-charities.charitycommission.org.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Faulkes Institute for Geometry". www.cms.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  4. ^ Bloom, Adi (13 June 2003). "Only the good go gilding". www.tes.co.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  5. ^ ""A University must be a place of inclusiveness and tolerance" Dill Faulkes". hullalumni.me. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  6. ^ Wakin, Daniel (4 September 2009). "From 12 Ropes and Bells, a River of Sound Over Wall St". Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  7. ^ "E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics". www.milnehull.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  8. ^ "2017 Honorary Fellows". www.cardiff.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  9. ^ Evans, Gareth (9 February 2015). "Founder of Faulkes Telescope hits out at university's decision to close astronomy course". Wales Online. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  10. ^ Sherriff, Lucy. "Asteroid named after Dill Faulkes". www.theregister.com. Retrieved 19 February 2021.


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