A NOTED VISITOR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23594, 2 September 1938, Page 2

A NOTED VISITOR

PROFESSOR ALEXANDER FINDLAY Professor Alexander Findlay, of the Chair of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, who arrived, in New Zealand by the Rangitane last week, will reach Dunedin on Thursday next on a visit tb this city. He is at present external examiner in chemistry for the University of New Zealand and, besides lecturing at the university colleges in this Dominion, will deliver a public address in Dunedin on “ Science and the Community.” Professor Findlay, who was born in Scotland in 1874, has had a distinguished • academic career. He graduated M.A.'at Aberdeen in 1895, gaining the Neil'Arnott prize in experimental physics, and two years later graduated B.Sc. In 1898 he was awarded an 1851 Exhibition Science ' Scholarship and became private assistant with Professor Japp, F.R.S., with whom he was associated in research on organic problems. Proceeding to Germany he worked with Wilhelm Ostwald, professor of physical chemistry at Leipzig, and in 1900 was awarded the degree of Ph-H. “ summa cum laude ” for investigations on the theory of fractional precipitation. Returning to Scotland in 1900 he was appointed interim lecturer on organic chemistry at St. Andrews University, but in the following year proceeded to University College, London, to work with Sir William Ramsay. In 1902 he received his Doctorate of Science from his alma mater for a dissertation upon problems dealing with solubility and latent heat of vaporisation.’ In later years he conducted researches upon velocity of reactions, colloids, and the freezing point curves of dynamic isomerides. From 1902 to 1911 he was lecturer in chemistry and special lecturer m physical chemistry at the University of Birmingham, which position he left to become professor of chemistry at the University College ot Wales, Aboystwyth. During the war years he served on the National Health Insurance Commission and was associated with Nobel s Explosives Company in research work on explosives and other war materials, and his services as a lecturer were utilised also in France, in 1919 he received his present appointment as professor of chemistry at Aberdeen University and in 1925, during a year’s leave of absence* discharged the duties of professor of chemistry at Stanford University. California. He has written largely and authoritatively, and has lectured extensively on subjects relating to the department of science in which he has specialised.