Irvine Building

Irvine Building

Sir James Colquhoun Irvine was born on May 9th 1877 in Glasgow. At 18 years old, he matriculated and attended the University of St Andrews. While he was there, he worked under Professor Thomas Purdie; himself a notable Scottish chemist who is widely credited with founding the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews.

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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