Trevor West | |
|---|---|
 West in 2005 | |
| Senator | |
| In office May 1982 – February 1983 | |
| In office November 1970 – October 1981 | |
| Constituency | Dublin University |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Timothy Trevor West 8 May 1938 County Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 30 October 2012 (aged 74) County Cork, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Maura Lee (m. 1995) |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | |
Timothy Trevor West (8 May 1938 – 30 October 2012)[1] was an Irish mathematician, academic and politician.[2]
He was born on 8 May 1938 in County Cork, the eldest of four sons of Timothy Roberts West, headmaster of Midleton College, and Dorothy Trevor West (née McNeill).[3]
He was educated at Midleton College,[4] and The High School, Dublin. West was a graduate of Trinity College Dublin (TCD), where he was elected a scholar, and of the University of Cambridge.[5] In 1970 he was elected a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and was also an associate professor of mathematics, Junior Dean, and a great supporter of sport at Trinity.[6] He was also a Member of the Royal Irish Academy.[4] He subsequently was a Senior Fellow of TCD.[7]
On 19 November 1970, West was elected to Seanad Éireann, at a by-election for the Dublin University constituency caused by the death of Owen Sheehy-Skeffington.[2] After his election, he established a reputation as one of the few liberal voices in the Seanad.[1] He was re-elected to the Seanad in 1973 and 1977, lost his seat at the 1981 Seanad election but was re-elected in 1982, then lost his seat again at the 1983 Seanad election.[2]
With John T. Lewis and D. McQuillan, West drew up the constitution of the Irish Mathematical Society.[8]
He was the author of The Bold Collegians, a history of sport in Trinity College,[6] and was an avid follower of Trinity College's sports programs. He also wrote a history of Midleton College, published for its tercentenary in 1996.[9]
An event was held in his memory at the Royal Irish Academy in December 2013 where a memorial issue of the Mathematical Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy was presented.[10]
A book of essays celebrating his life, Trevor West : The Bold Collegian, was published in October 2016.[11]
On 14 September 2018, a new sports hall in Midleton College dedicated to the memory of Trevor West was opened by the Provost of Trinity College, Patrick Prendergast.[12]
