Arthur W. Barton


Doctor Arthur Willoughby Barton was a headmaster, academic author and association football referee.

Early life and education

Barton's father was Edwin H Barton, professor of physics at University College, Nottingham. He was educated at Nottingham High School and then Trinity College, Cambridge, after military service with the Royal Engineers.
He read natural sciences taking Firsts in Parts I and II; in 1922, he was awarded first-Class honours in physics in the London BSc examination. From 1922 to 1925 he was a research student at the Cavendish Laboratory in Lord Rutherford's group.

Physics Master

Barton was Chief Physics Master at Repton School from 1926 until 1939, when Geoffrey Fisher, later Archbishop of Canterbury, was headmaster.

Doctorate

While at Repton he was awarded a doctorate from the University of London for a thesis on radioactive decay.

Headmaster

In 1939, he was appointed headmaster of King Edward VII School, Sheffield.
From 1950 to 1965 he was headmaster of the City of London School.

Publications

Barton was the author of textbooks on heat and light, for example A Text Book on Heat.

Sport

Barton was a football referee. He refereed the semi-final between Austria and Poland in the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, and was linesman in the 1936 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Sheffield United.

Personal life

In 1935 he married Alison Mary, second daughter of Colin Read Shaw.