Background
Tom was born in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Iris on 21 May 1898 and was educated at Scotch College where in 1914 he was dux, winning exhibitions in algebra, physics and chemistry in the public examinations
Tom was born in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Iris on 21 May 1898 and was educated at Scotch College where in 1914 he was dux, winning exhibitions in algebra, physics and chemistry in the public examinations
He proceeded to Ormond College at the University of Melbourne where he studied mathematics, winning prizes and scholarships.
After graduating, he enlisted in the A.I.F. in July 1918 and was posted to the n Flying Corps. Discharged in December 1918, he decided to commence studying medicine in 1919. However, his godfather Sir John MacFarland, a distinguished mathematician, physicist and the first master of Ormond College since 1881, offered him financial assistance to continue to study mathematics at Cambridge.
Cherry spent the next decade in, first at Trinity College where he was elected a Fellow (1924), then substituting for Professor Edward Arthur Milne at Manchester (1924-1925), and Professor Sir Charles Galton Darwin at Edinburgh (1927).
He returned to in 1929 to the chair of "pure and mixed mathematics" at the University of Melbourne. During the Second World War he worked on research into radar, explosives and operations research.
In 1952 he reluctantly assumed the chair of applied mathematics, and from 1950 until his retirement in 1963 and death in 1966, his work in the advancement of the teaching of mathematics at all levels was acknowledged and rewarded by many prestigious bodies. He was knighted in 1965.
1918 1st Class Honours, University of Melbourne
1922 Graduated Bachelor of Arts (Cambridge)
1924 Doctor of Philosophy (Cambridge)
1924-1928 Fellow Trinity College
1929-1963 Chair of Mathematics – University of Melbourne
1948 Pollock Memorial Lecturer – University of Sydney
1950 Doctor of Science. (Cambridge)
1951 Lyle Medallist, n National Research Council
1954 Fellow of the Royal Society
1954 Foundation Fellow of the n Academy of Science
1956-1958 1st President of AustMS
1961-1963 1st President of the Victorian Computer Society
1961-1965 President of Associate of Applied Science
1963 Honorary Doctor of Science
A.N.U. & University of West.A. 1965 Knight Bachelor
Cherry was a keen mountaineer, and was heavily involved in the Boy Scouts movement. While commissioner of Boy Scouts for Cambridge in 1924, he met Olive Ellen Wright, a Girl Guide commissioner. He died of myocardial infarction on 21 November 1966 at Kew and was buried in Gisborne cemetery.
The TM Cherry Prize awarded annually by ANZIAM since 1969.
Royal Society.