He was born in
Frome on
Valentine's Day, 14 February 1904. A plaque has been placed on the house at the junction of Badcox Parade and Catherine Hill. He was educated at
Bedford Modern School and
St. John's College, Cambridge. He lectured at
King's College London for 12 years, until the war. He was a director of the
English Electric Valve Company from 1966 to 1985. In 1969, he was elected to the
Royal Society. Oatley also received an
Honorary Doctorate from
Heriot-Watt University in 1974. In that same year, he was
knighted. He received an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Science) from the
University of Bath in 1977. He retired from the
English Electric Valve Company in 1985. He was awarded the
Howard N. Potts Medal in 1989. He died on 11 March 1996. ==Graduate students==