The terms of the Trust specify that the money is to be used for the furtherance of scientific research into the fields of medical, microwave, radar or laser engineering.
The Board of Trustees of the IET agreed that the available funds would be used to offer an annual research prize in one of the research fields each year, covering them all over a three year cycle.
History of the prize
Dr Arthur Frank Harvey, BSc(Eng) DPhil FIEE
Early life
Arthur Frank Harvey was born on 21 March 1910 in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, South Wales, the eldest of three sons born to Mr and Mrs Arthur Hounsell Harvey. His father was a Chief Draughtsman at the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Co. Ltd.
Harvey grew up in South Wales, where he attended Pontygof Elementary School 1915-1921 and Ebbw Vale County School 1921-1927. In October 1927 he received a state scholarship and entered University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, Cardiff.
Brilliant student
In 1929, Harvey completed his BSc in Electrical Engineering subjects. He also passed the final degree examination in physics as an extra subject and was also awarded the Page Gold Medal for the best student in the Engineering Department.
In June 1930 he graduated from the University College of South Wales, Monmouthshire with a First Class BSc Honours in Electrical Engineering.
He was described by the University as being the “Most brilliant student the Department has had for many years” and also as “Exceptionally brilliant and likely to go far.”
As well as his academic qualifications, Harvey gained practical experience in two vacation periods, of approximately three months each, at Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company Ltd., Manchester.
Early career path
In 1930, Harvey was awarded a prestigious three year Industrial Bursary from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. During this time, he worked as an engineering apprentice at the South Wales Power Company for three months and then took up a college apprenticeship with Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company Ltd, Manchester, for two years.
In 1933 he joined the General Electric Company, Wembley, as a research assistant in the Research Laboratories.
After his bursary ended in 1934, he worked as a Technical Assistant at Johnson and Phillips Ltd in Charlton, London, then from 1935-38 he worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough.
He was admitted to the degree of D.Phil in April 1940 at Jesus College, University of Oxford. During this time he worked in the Engineering Laboratory, Oxford, where he began work on High Frequency Thermionic Tubes, later moving to the Cavendish Laboratory, Trinity College, Cambridge, where he carried on with the same work.
He continued in the research and development of radar and microwave applications during and after the Second World War. This included work on the magnetron which was of considerable importance during the Second World War.
In 1939 he joined the Ministry of Supply as a Scientific Officer. He became Senior Scientific Officer in 1946 and Principal Scientific Officer in 1950.
Later career
In 1960 Harvey won the “IEEE Microwave Prize for his paper on “Periodic and guiding structures at microwave frequencies,” IRE Trans. On Microwave Theory and Techniques.
By the 1980s he had moved to work for the Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern. During this time his work included research and development on millimetre wavelengths, ferrite devices, quantum electronics and coherent-light techniques.
He wrote several papers and two books on microwaves and lasers.
Publications
- The cut-off characteristic of the single anode magnetron oscillating in the dymatron region; Harvey A F; Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc, vol 35, p636; 1939
- Output and efficiency of the split anode magnetron oscillating in the dymatron region; Harvey A F
- The impedance of the magnetron in different regions of the frequency spectrum; Harvey A F; J. Inst. Elec. Eng, vol 86, p297; 1940; TRE
- Instruments for use in the microwave band; Harvey A F; Proceedings of the IEE - Part II
- Power Engineering, vol.98, no.66, pp.781-789; December 1951; TRE
- The electroforming of components and instruments for millimetre wavelengths; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE B Radio Electron. Eng. UK 102, 223; 1955; RRE
- A surface-texture comparator for microwave structures; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE B Radio Electron. Eng. UK 102, 219; 1955; RRE
- Ferrite structures for millimetre wavelengths; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE B Radio Electron. Eng. UK 104, 346; 1957; RRE
- A survey of the theory and applications of ferrites at microwave frequencies; Clarricoats P J B, Hayes A G, Harvey A F; Proc. IEE B Radio Electron. Eng. UK 104, 267; 1957; RRE
- Radio-frequency aspects of electro-nuclear accelerators; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE B Radio Electron. Eng. UK 106, 43; 1959; RRE
- Optical techniques at microwave frequencies; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE B Radio Electron. Eng. UK 106, 141; 1959; RRE
- Parallel-plate transmission systems for microwave frequencies; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE B
- Radio-frequency aspects of electro-nuclear accelerators; Harvey A F; J Brit Nuclear Energy Conf 4 312-327; October 1957; RRE
- Microwave tubes---an introductory review with bibliography; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE C
- Monogr. UK 107, 29; 1960; RRE
- Industrial, biological and medical aspects of microwave radiation; Harvey A F; Proc. IEE, B Electron. Commun. Eng. UK 107, 557; 1960; RRE
- Ferrite structures for millimetre wavelengths; Harvey A F; January 1962; RRE
- A solid-state electro-optic phase modulator for laser Doppler anemometry; Foord R, Harvey A F, Jones R, Pike E R, Vaughan A M; Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 7 (2), art. no. 103, pp. L36-L39; 1974; RRE
Books
- Microwave Engineering, Academic Press 1963 1313pp
- Coherent Light, Wiley, 1970, 1358pp.