Harold Jeffreys

Harold Jeffreys was a British mathematician, astronomer, statistician, and seismologist. Born in England in 1891, he was educated at Durham University, St John's College, Newcastle University, and the University of Cambridge. He held the position of Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy and was employed by the University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory, and the Met Office. His spouse was Bertha Swirles.

Jeffreys was a member of the Royal Society, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. He received the Copley Medal, the Royal Medal, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Vetlesen Prize, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics. His notable works include *Scientific inference*, *Evolution in the light of modern knowledge*, and the Jeffreys prior. He died in Cambridge in 1989.