Jakob Gadolin

Jakob Gadolin (24 October 1719 – 26 September 1802) was a Finnish and Swedish Lutheran bishop, professor of physics and theology, politician and statesman. He worked as a professor of mathematics, astronomy, physics and theology at the Royal Academy of Turku and was appointed bishop of the Archdiocese of Turku in 1788. As a member of parliament, he was for a long time one of the leading representatives of the Hats party within the clergy. He is generally considered the pioneer of mathematical physics in Finland.

In early 1728, the 8-year-old Gadolin began his schooling at the trivial school in Pori. As a student, Gadolin initially envisioned a career as a priest, but then developed an interest in Wolffian philosophy, particularly in mathematics. To finance his studies, he worked as a private tutor in Turku, including in the household of Professor Henrik Hassel. During the Lesser Wrath, Gadolin studied for several years at Uppsala University.

Gadolin published several works on mathematical and natural history subjects, including Om Åbo slotts belägenhet över vattenbrynet (1751), Om Åbo stads belägenhet, bestämd genom observationer (1753), and Observationer om Veneris inträde i solen den 3 juni 1769, utförda i Åbo (1769). During Gadolin's presidency, 43 academic dissertations were published, 35 in physics and 8 in theological subjects. He also worked as a bank auditor in 1785 and 1791 and in 1796 served as an auditor at the Swedish National Debt Office.

Awards

Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star, April 1789