The biographical sketch is due to Jasper Skinner, and has been reproduced from his book, 'Squared Squares, Who's Who and What's What'
At war's end, an able young Englishman became aware of and interested in the problem. This man was Theophilus Harding Willcocks (THW). This talented amateur mathematician (and chess enthusiast) was born April 19, 1912, at Newquay, Cornwall, England. A modest man, THW was for many years, an employee at the Bank of England until his retirement. Since 1945, his continuing interest in the field is evidenced by his many outstanding productive contributions to its growing body of knowledge. His publications in Fairy Chess Review (no longer published), Canadian Journal of Mathematics and Journal of Combinatorial Theory have demonstrated his unique approach to the problem. THW discovered (in 1946) and susequently published what is arguably the most widely known perfect square.
So many authors have cited this square that its figure is well known even to casual readers (with a broad spectrum of interests in mathematics, but unlikely to read the technical papers on the subject). "this little gem of Willcocks", as it has been called is 24: 175 (THW). For more than three decades, it was the benchmark by which all other squares were measured (as it had the lowest order and smallest side of any known perfect square) and it remains today, the lowest possible order compound perfect square, a fact established by Duijvestijn, p. J. Federico and P. Leeuw in 1982. Even today with conclusive permanent records of the ultra-low-order squares established, only three men have produced a square which betters this square ... THW is one of these. All the ultra-low-order squares (from order 21 through 24) are now known. All but one of these are simple. But 24: 175 (THW) is compound. it stands alone, the very best of all the compound perfect squares, the only ultralow-order compound perfect square.