Dr. F. Ronald Britton was a former Professor of Mathematics at McMaster, and served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics. After his retirement, he endowed our annual Britton Lectures in memory of his late wife Helen E. Britton. The Britton Lectures have provided the University with a series of distinguished invited speakers since its beginning in 1978.

In his will, Dr. Britton provided for the endowment of a Professorship in Mathematics. This Chair was was established in 1987 with the appointment of Victor P. Snaith as the first Britton Professor of Mathematics. Professor Snaith held this appointment until 1998, when he accepted a position at the University of Southampton, England. The endowment for the Chair funds two Britton Postdoctoral Fellowships per year, to be nominated by the Britton Professor. These fellowships are 2 year appointments in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics for talented recent Ph.D.'s in mathematics of any nationality. They combine a stipend and a research fund allowance with a limited amount of teaching.