Sir Hugh Norwood Robson (18 October 1917 – 11 December 1977) was a Scottish physician noted as a university administrator in several countries, including Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield (informally Sheffield University or TUOS) is a public university, public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Fir ...

from 1966 to 1974 and Principal of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

from 1974 to 1977. The Hugh Robson Building in George Square (part of the

) is named after him, as is the Hugh Robson Computer Laboratory.

Life

Known as Norrie, Robson was born in 1917 in

Langholm Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. Langholm lies between four hills in the valley of the River Esk in the Southern Uplands. Location and geography Langholm sits n ...

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the hi ...

, the son of Elizabeth Warnock, a farmer's daughter, and Hugh Robson, a civil servant in the

Inland Revenue The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation ta ...

. He was educated at

Langholm Academy Langholm Academy is a non-denominational, co-educational six-year comprehensive secondary school in Langholm Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. Langholm lies betw ...

then

Dumfries Academy Dumfries Academy is one of four secondary schools in Dumfries in south west Scotland. It is a state funded secondary school for both girls and boys. The schools moto is "doctrina promovet" which translates from Latin to "learning promotes" which ...

. He studied medicine at the

graduating with an

MB ChB A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

in 1941. He then, as his service during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, joined the

Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...

and served in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

as a Lieutenant Surgeon. Returning to the University of Edinburgh as a lecturer in 1947 after serving as a surgeon lieutenant in the

RNVR The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two Volunteer Reserves (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve (United Kingdom), ...

during the

. He then became a senior lecturer at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

, then a professor of medicine at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

. In 1966 he returned to the UK and took up the post of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield. In 1974 he was knighted by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and returned to the University of Edinburgh as Principal and Vice-Chancellor. In 1975 he received an honorary LLD from the University of SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
Honorary Graduates and a second honorary doctorate (DSc) from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. In the same year he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were

Anthony Elliot Ritchie Anthony Elliot Ritchie FRSE FRCPE LLD (30 March 1915–14 September 1997) was a 20th-century Scottish physiologist and educator. Life Ritchie was born at 20 Upper Gray Street, Edinburgh on 30 March 1915, the only son of Jessie Jane Elliot an ...

John Cameron, Lord Cameron John Cameron, Lord Cameron, Order of the Thistle, KT, Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom), DSC, PRSE, Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (8 February 1900 – 30 May 1996) was a Scottish judge and President of the Royal Society of Edinb ...

, Neil Campbell, Lord Balerno and Hugh Ernest Butler. In 1976 he was elected a member of the

Harveian Society of Edinburgh The Harveian Society of Edinburgh was founded in April 1782 by Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744), Andrew Duncan. The Society holds an annual Festival in honour of the life and works of William Harvey, the physician who first correctly des ...

. He died in Edinburgh on 11 December 1977.

Family

He married Alice Livingstone in 1942 just prior to going on active service. They had one son and two daughters.''British Medical Journal'' Dec 1977 page 1676 Obituary

Hugh Robson Building

Hugh Robson has a lasting memorial in place in

George Square, Edinburgh George Square () is a city square in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is in the south of the city centre, adjacent to the Meadows. It was laid out in 1766 outside the overcrowded Old Town, and was a popular residential area for Edinburgh's better-off c ...

, where the University of Edinburgh named a building on their campus after him. The building was built in 1978 as part of the general redevelopment of the Square which had been acquired by the University in the 1960s. It houses a computer lab for students.

References

Principals of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Sheffield Knights Bachelor 1917 births 1977 deaths Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II People from Langholm Vice-chancellors of the University of Sheffield Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh {{Scotland-academic-bio-stub