▁and ▁early ▁life ▁ ▁John ▁Alan ▁Chal mers ▁( known ▁as ▁Alan ) ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁High gate ▁School . ▁He ▁had ▁one ▁brother , ▁Bruce ▁Chal mers ▁( who ▁later ▁became ▁a ▁well - known ▁met all urg ist ), ▁and ▁a ▁sister , ▁Marian . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁he ▁won ▁an ▁open ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁Queen ' s ▁College ▁Cambridge ▁and ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁first ▁class ▁degree ▁in ▁Natural ▁Sciences ▁( Phys ics ). ▁He ▁remained ▁at ▁Cambridge ▁in ▁the ▁Cav end ish ▁Labor atory ▁to ▁study ▁for ▁a ▁Ph D , ▁super vised ▁by ▁R uther ford . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁he ▁left ▁Cambridge ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁a ▁lect ures hip ▁at ▁Dur ham ▁University . ▁He ▁received ▁his ▁Ph D ▁for ▁a ▁th esis ▁entitled ▁" Some ▁problems ▁in ▁radio activity " ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Chal mers ▁started ▁working ▁on ▁atmos pher ic ▁electric ity ▁early ▁in ▁his ▁career ▁and ▁published ▁around ▁ 9 0 ▁papers . ▁He ▁spent ▁his ▁entire ▁career ▁at ▁Dur ham , ▁and ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Senior ▁L ect urer ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁Re ader ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁and ▁Professor ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁students ▁he ▁ment ored ▁became ▁distinguished ▁scient ists ▁( for ▁example , ▁Frank ▁Pas qu ill ). ▁The ▁first ▁edition ▁of ▁his