Neil Campbell

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

FRSC OBE (29 August 1903 – 24 July 1996) was a Scottish chemist and amateur athlete. He served as Vice President 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 ...

from 1972 to 1975. He was associated with 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 ...

for 74 years of his life.

Life

He was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

on 29 August 1903 into a family of Edinburgh actuaries, and his early education was at George Watson’s College before studying chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. He graduated with a BSc in 1926, continuing his studies with a PhD, on 'Optical activity of electrolytes' graduating in 1930. After a brief period studying at

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...

in south-west Germany 1930/1, he returned to the University of Edinburgh as a lecturer in chemistry from the summer of 1931. He became a Senior Lecturer in 1952 and a professor in 1967. He was a keen amateur runner and supporter of school athletics. At University he ran with

Eric Liddell Eric Henry Liddell (; 16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945) was a Scottish sprint (running), sprinter, Rugby union, rugby player and Christian missionary. Born in Qing dynasty, Tianjin, China to Scottish missionary parents, he attended bo ...

. He served as Chairman of the Edinburgh Union of Boys Clubs. In 1962 he was elected President of the Watsonian Club (former pupils of George Watsons College). He was a rugby referee (refereeing more than 600 matches), an official timekeeper at the 1958 Empire Games, and also on the Committee which set up the 1970

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

. He was elected a Fellow of the

in 1950, his proposers including Sir Edmund Hirst and Thomas Bolam. After many years of high level service became its vice president in 1972. In 1983 he was awarded their Bicentenary Medal. Campbell also received an

Honorary Doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

from

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University () is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by roya ...

in 1975. In 1976 he was elected President of Edinburgh University’s Graduate Association. He died, a few days after the death of his wife, on 24 July 1996 in

Kinghorn Kinghorn (; ) is a town and parish in Fife, Scotland. A seaside resort with two beaches, Kinghorn Beach and Pettycur Bay, plus a fishing port, it stands on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, opposite Edinburgh. Known as the place where K ...

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

Memorials

The Neil Campbell Quaich is awarded to the best overall student sportsman or woman at

in Edinburgh.

Family

He was married to Marjorie Stewart (d.1996), a Scottish hockey international. They had two sons.

Publications

Campbell spoke fluent German and translated several German textbooks into English. He is also noted for: *''Qualitative Organic Chemistry'' (1939) *editor to ''Schmidt’s Textbook of Organic Chemistry'' (8th edition) (1947) *contributor to ''Robb’s Chemistry of Carbon Compounds'' (1951) *''The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783-1983'' (co-written with Martin Smellie)

References

1903 births 1996 deaths People educated at George Watson's College 20th-century Scottish chemists Scottish male athletes Scientists from Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh College of Science and Engineering Academics of the University of Edinburgh 20th-century Scottish sportsmen Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire {{Scotland-scientist-stub