▁served ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁pure ▁and ▁applied ▁mathematics , ▁b urs ar , ▁vice ▁prov ost ▁and ▁pro - chan cell or . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁Professor ▁of ▁Natural ▁Philosoph y ▁at ▁T CD ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁ 4 0 0 ▁years ▁of ▁Mathemat ics ▁at ▁T CD ▁( 1 5 9 2 – 1 9 9 2 ). ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁Born ▁Thomas ▁David ▁Spe ar man ▁in ▁Dublin ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁he ▁attended ▁T CD , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Sch olar ▁in ▁Mathemat ics ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁B A ▁in ▁mathematics ▁and ▁natural ▁philosophy ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁ ▁He ▁did ▁his ▁Ph D ▁on ▁" Problem s ▁in ▁P ion ▁Physics ", ▁( a ward ed ▁by ▁Cambridge ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ) ▁under ▁fellow ▁Irish man ▁Jim ▁Hamilton , ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁latter ▁moved ▁from ▁Cambridge ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁London . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁at ▁University ▁College ▁London ▁ 1 9 6 1 – 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁ 1 9 6 2 – 1 9 6 4 ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Dur ham ▁ 1 9 6 4 – 1 9 6 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁chair ▁of ▁natural ▁philosophy ▁back ▁at ▁his