Purdie was elected to the vacant chair at St Andrews in 1884. At the time, the university could only offer cramped accommodation, imperfect equipment and the small matter that Chemistry had no official place in the curriculum. These circumstances did not faze Thomas Purdie whatsoever, as he worked to found the School of Chemistry in the university.

His work at St Andrews was influential, and he is described as someone who devoted himself to developing the characters of his students much more than converting them into chemists. He was also instrumental in founding a “research school” in St Andrews, when he presented to the University a fully equipped research laboratory.

If you want to learn more about Thomas Purdie, visit here.

]]> His involvement in computers began during a summer vacation consultancy at the Royal Aircraft Establishment. The computer used at the facility at the time was an ACE (Automatic Computing Engine), where Alan Turing was an active member of the design team behind the development of the ACE.

In 1965, Dr. Cole was appointed to a senior lectureship as Director of the Computing Laboratory in the University of St Andrews. At the time, the computing service staff totalled only 3 members. Dr. Cole himself, an operator and a computer/punch operator.

If you want to learn more about Alfred Jack Cole, visit here.

]]> Sir James Irvine was notably the Principal of St Andrews for over three decades – from 1920 to 1952. During his tenure as president, he oversaw an extensive modernisation of the university, earning him the moniker “St Andrews’ Second Founder”.

In his early days as principal, the University of St Andrews was suffering from a noticeable lack of suitable buildings and equipment designed for the pursuit of scientific inquiry. Not to mention the relatively small number of students and precarious financial position. It is down to Irvine’s dedication to St Andrews and his hard work that the university is where it is today.

If you want to learn more about James Irvine, visit here.

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