19 September 2006

125 Exhibition launched

An exhibition chronicling the first 125 years of the University of Dundee, from 1881 to 1967, opens tomorrow.

To launch the display there will be a seminar tomorrow in which current members of staff talk about the early days of their departments and about some of the key early staff:

D'Arcy Thompson was the first Prof of Biology. He founded the University's Zoology museum and pioneered the science of mathematical biology. A great character, he was often seen wandering about town with a parrot on his shoulder.

Patrick Geddes was the first Botany professor, and is now internationally recognised as the father of town planning. He laid out the gardens in the university including the Geddes quadrangle, and was a great promoter of art and science in Dundee and beyond.

J A Ewing was the first Engineering professor. Born in Dundee he studied at the High School then went to Japan where he became one of the inventors of the seismograph to measure earthquakes. During the First World War he worked for the War Office as a code-breaker and succeeded in cracking the German ciphers.

Thomas Carnelley was the first Chemistry professor. He was actively involved in the Dundee Social Union, the Dundee Naturalists Society and other local organisations, and led various campaigns to improve living and working conditions in Dundee. The Carnelley chemistry laboratory which he helped to design was one of the first buildings in Scotland to have air conditioning and electric light.

Edward Waymouth Reid was the first Dean of the Medical School. Known for his strong opinions, he had a model gallows in his room and anyone he didn't like would be hanged in effigy on the gallows. Along with the Physics Professor J P Kuenen and Dr George Pirie at Dundee Royal Infirmary he carried out pioneering experiments into X-rays just months after their discovery.

The exhibition itself consists of a myriad of fascinating artefacts, charters, papers and other items of interest and will be on display in the Lamb Gallery and the Tower Building, from tomorrow. 9am to 5pm.

For media enquiries contact:

Anna Day
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: a.c.day@dundee.ac.uk