John Perry

Born in Garvagh, County Londonderry, in 1850, he became known as an Irish engineer, mathematician, and educator. He worked with Lord Kelvin at the University of Glasgow, later taught in Japan during the Meiji era, and went on to become professor of mechanical engineering at Finsbury Technical College.

He built a reputation not just through technical work, but through the way he explained things. He was associated with clear, hands-on teaching and with efforts to reform how mathematics and engineering were taught, arguing that students should learn ideas they could actually use.

He also wrote books for students and general readers, including works on engines and spinning tops, which helped extend his influence beyond the classroom. He died in London in 1920, remembered as a gifted communicator who connected theory with real-world engineering.