Biography William Lawrence Balls

1 biography

1.1 education , career
1.2 1914 –1927
1.3 1927–1960

biography
education , career

balls, born in norfolk, son of william balls , emma lawrence, w. l. balls educated @ norwich school, , @ st john s college, cambridge. after university, applied , appointed new post of cryptogamic botanist khedivial agricultural society of egypt in cairo, took in november 1904. worked society until 1910 when transferred newly founded department of agriculture of egyptian government botanist. beginning in 1905 1-acre (0.40 ha) of land, able observe 9 successive cotton crops in great detail, studying genetics, physiology , textile technology. in period, published 45 papers , book, cotton plant in egypt, in summarised , added studies in genetics , physiology. book became botanical classic. balls elected fellow of st john s college in 1908.

1914 –1927

balls returned england in 1914, settled in cambridgeshire , wrote development , properties of raw cotton (1915) , egypt , egyptians (1915). invited start experimental department fine cotton spinners , doublers association and, beginning 2 rooms in manchester , large house in bollington, cheshire 3 years later, continued studies of cotton fibre quality next ten years, mastering art of cotton spinning , conducting research cotton spinning technology.

during period, became chairman joint standing committee of board of trade committee, grew empire cotton growing corporation, , shirley institute of british cotton industry research association. became member of textiles institute, manchester, in 1916 , published book, handbook of cotton spinning tests (1920). elected fellow of royal society in may 1923.

he resigned post fine cotton spinners , doublers association @ end of 1925 change occupation. returned cambridge , outlined work of ten years in book, studies of quality in cotton (1928). cotton quality reports published balls between 1912 , 1928 cited fibre physiologists , textile technologists more seventy years.

1927–1960

soon afterwards, invited return egypt head of cotton work , remain there remainder of working life. personal research limited able make great practical achievements using administrative skills , co-ordinate work on cotton botany, agronomy , entomology. studied movement of water movement across of 70-acre (28 ha) farm more 25 years , used information when writing yields of crop (1953) after retirement. established concept of pure-line seed supply , plant actual spinning of small samples. discovered deliberate genetical selection done yarn strength, important discovery made in cotton breeding @ time. gave annual textile institute mather lecture in 1931 on aspects of egyptian cotton. lecture, current changes in technology of cotton spinning , cultivation, published in journal of textile institute xxii:5 (1931). dr. balls appointed commander of order of british empire (cbe) in 1934.

during world war ii dr. balls s services used forces , became chairman of scientific advisory committee commander-in-chief @ middle east headquarters, devoted time invention of mine detector.