Prof. T. S. Patterson

Abstract

THOMAS STEWART P ATTERSON was born in Greenock in 1872. After his early education at Merchiston Castle school of which in later years he became a governor, he studied chemistry at the Andersonian College Glasgow, under Dittmar, and then proceeded to Heidekverg, where he graduated as Ph.D. in 1896 with a thesis on iodoso- and iodo-benzaldehyde. In this romantic city by the Neckar he fell under the spell of that man of genius, Victor Meyer, who was then at the height of his transcendent powers. After a year in Birmingham as the first Priestley scholar, he became a member of the staff of the Yorkshire College, Leeds, before he returned to Glasgow in 1904 as senior assistant to the professor of chemistry in the University, being afterwards promoted to Waltonian lecturer and lecturer in organic chemistry. He graduated as D.Sc. both in London and Glasgow, and in 1919 he became the first holder of the Gardiner chair of organic chemistry at Glasgow, which he occupied with distinction until his retirement in 1942. His services to the University were honoured by the conferment upon him of the degree of LL.D. in 1943. During his tenure of the chair he played his full share in administration, since he served for some years as dean of the Faculty of Science, and as a member of the University Court. The welfare of his students, with whom he was very popular, made at all times a great personal appeal to him, and he was one of the founders of the Alchemists' Club, which served so much to broaden their outlook.