The University of Dundee has had during its 120 year
history many worthy scientists on its staff. Listed below are some of those
most worthy of mention:
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Thomas Carnelley (1852-1890)
Thomas Carnelley arrived at Dundee in 1882 to become
a Professor setting up a laboratory and department for the second time.
His first had been at Firth College, Sheffield. After much appreciated
work in both town and college in Dundee he was appointed Professor at Aberdeen
1888. His major contributions to the study of chemistry were from his support
and research on the Benzene - used in the production of modern materials
such as plastics and on Periodic Law. He died tragically at the age of
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Thomas Caxton Fidler (1841-1917)
In 1891 Thomas Fidler succeeded Alfred Ewing to the
Chair of Engineering & Drawing at University College, Dundee. By 1860
he was specialising in Railways and Railway bridges. His Practical Treatise
on Bridge Construction” was published in 1887. It was described by one
expert as by far the clearest, most thorough and generally efficient book
on the theory of bridge construction which we at present possess in the
English Language. He retired in 1909.
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Johannes Petrus Kuenen (1866-1922)
Johannes Kuenen started his study at Leiden in 1884.
In 1895 he was appointed to a professorship of Physics at University College,
Dundee where he stayed till 1906. He is well known for his work on material
state (gas, solid and liquid) equilbra that led to such work as the liquidification
and solidification of Helium.
While pursuing investigations into the subject Kuenen discovered the phenomenon
of retrograde condensation. That is if the volume of two gases, kept at
constant temperature and pressure below critical conditions, is gradually
reduced condensation will start when a certain volume is reached, the amount
of condensation will gradually increase upon further reduction in volume,
until the gases are finally liquefied. If the composition of the gases
lies between their so-called true and pseudo critical points the condensation
formed will disappear on continued reduction of volume. This disappearance
of condensation is called retrograde condensation - it finds an application
in the recovery of gasoline from gas wells. He designed many instruments
for use in study and contributed numerous pieces of data.
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Professor John Steggall (1855-1935)
In 1883 Steggall was elected to a Chair in Mathematics
and Natural Philosophy at University College, Dundee. In 1895 the responsibility
of shouldering two separate departments was considerable and a division
was made. He continued as Professor of Pure and Applied Mathematics until
he retired in 1933.
His chief interest lay in the theory of numbers and kinematical geometry.
William Peddie said of him "The generation of British mathematics to which
Steggall belonged delighted in proposing and working out problems whose
solutions might require the aid of any branch of pure or applied mathematics."
He remained an exceptional examiner who maintained an alertness and freshness
of outlook to the end. He was a central figure at the college in his time,
participating in all aspects of University life. The college magazine was
in great praise of his attendance at Student Society meetings and he was
a popular Honorary President of the society for some years. His position
and sense of duty made him an important figure to the students.
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Professor James Alfred Ewing
(1855-1935)
Ewing was born and educated in Dundee and studied
engineering on a scholarship at Edinburgh University. He helped Sir William
Thomson, later Lord Kelvin in a cable laying project. In 1878 he became
professor of Mechanical Engineering and Physics at Tokyo University, where
he devised instruments for measuring earthquakes. He came to University
College, Dundee as the first Professor of Engineering but when a Chair
became vacant in Cambridge Ewing moved. In 1890 discovered and explained
magnetic hysteresis. In 1903 he moved to the Admiralty as head of education
and training. In the First World War he and his staff took on the task
of deciphering coded messages. In 1916 he became Principal and Vice-Chancellor
of Edinburgh University. He was Knighted in 1911.
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William Peddie (1861-1946)
William Peddie was originally from Orkney. 1891 saw
the publication of the 1st edition of the “Manual of Physics”, one of the
most widely used text books of the day. In 1909 he published “Elementary dynamics
of Solids and Fluids” to equal popularity. In 1892 he was appointed as
a lecturer at Edinburgh University. In 1907 he came to the Chair of Physics
at University College, Dundee. Here he oversaw the building of the Carnegie
Physics Laboratory - which still stands in the Geddes Quadrangle on campus.
He wrote on mathematics and thermodynamics and equipatition of energy.
He also carried out experiments on the properties of metals when twisted,
colour (a subject on which he became an authority) and also wrote on magnetism.
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Principal Angus Fulton (1871-1958)
Born and brought up in Dundee, he graduated in 1907
and joined the engineering department as Fidler’s assistant. He held the
Chair in Engineering and Drawing until retiring in 1946. In World War I
he served in the Royal Flying Corp and Royal Air Force investigating accidents
due to mechanical defects in aircraft. For last 7 years of his career he
was acting Principal of University College.
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Professor Margaret Fairlie
(1891-1963)
Margaret Fairlie was the first women to hold a professorial
Chair in Scotland. She graduated from St Andrews in 1915. Then worked in
Dundee, Perth, Edinburgh and Manchester before returning to Dundee in 1919
to run a consultant practice in Gynaecology. After a visit to the Curie
Clinic in Paris she became a pioneer user of radium in Scotland. In 1936
she was made Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dundee Royal Infirmary
and was appointed to the Chair in 1940, a post she held till retirement
in 1956.
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George Dawson Preston (1896-1972)
Educated at Cambridge, George Preston joined the
staff of the Metallurgy Division of National Physical Laboratory in 1921.
Here he applied the techniques of X-ray and electron diffraction to the
study of crystal structures of metal alloys.
Working on the structure of alloys in 1921 he formulated the idea that
different atoms show clustering or segregation effects; the so called Guiner
Preston zones. The techniques of X-ray and electron diffraction were still
in their infancy, and he began a systematic application of them to the
crystal structures of metal alloys. This Guiner - Preston effect was used
in the early development of the electron microscope. The first electron
microscope (one of earliest in Britain) was brought to Dundee by Preston
when he came to University College, Dundee from National Physics Laboratory.
He succeeded Peddie to the Harris Chair of Physics in 1943, where his teaching and administration
commitments along with low budgets for research meant his work diminished.
His tenacity meant that X-ray equipment was somehow created in the department
and some work on X-ray crystallography has continued in Dundee since.
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Professor Arthur Donald Walsh
(1916-1977)
Arthur Walsh was Professor of Chemistry 1955-76 at
Queens College, Dundee. Here he built up the staff of what was a relatively
small department. In 1967 he was made Dean of the Faculty Science and was
instrumental in restoring Biology to its current status and with creating
Biochemistry Department. As convenor of the gardens sub-committee he was
a prime mover in developing open spaces on campus and establishing Frankland
Court.
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Professor David Rutherford Dow
(1889-1979)
David Dow grew up in Crail. He graduated from St
Andrews in 1911 and he became an MD in 1924. From here he went on to be
a house surgeon at Dundee Royal Infirmary. Dow was made Professor of Anatomy
in 1925. He had a reputation as an entertaining lecturer, on one occasion
he invited a lady contortionist, appearing at the palace theatre to give
a demonstration on the lecture bench. His ‘Burke and Hare’ lecture was
a favourite with students.
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Peter LeComber (1941-1992)
Educated at Leicester University Peter LeComber was
appointed at University of Dundee 1968. In 1986 he gained a personal chair
in Solid State Physics. Pioneering work into Amorphous Silicon fields and
transistors found applications in addressable Liquid Crystal Displays.
He published over 170 papers and was the co-inventor of 10 patents. Everyone
who uses a solar-powered calculator or watches a flat-screen
TV benefits from his work. He sadly died of a fatal heart attack
whilst celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary in Switzerland.
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Walter Spear (1921-2008)
Educated at London University Walter Spear became
a lecturer at Leicester University. His research looked into the transport
properties of crystalline solids, liquids and amorphous semiconductors.
Research led to the amorphous silicon photovoltic solar cell. The work
of Walter Spear and Peter LeComber has resulted in the industry based on the use of this material - flat screen technology, photocopying,
etc.
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