Pen name Sir Graham Hills Nationality English | Children 4 Name Graham Hills | |
Born 9 April 1926
Southend-on-Sea, Essex , U.K. ( 1926-04-09 ) Occupation University Principal, Physical chemist, Educationalist Died February 9, 2014, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Spouse Mary McNaughton (m. 1980), Brenda Stubbington (m. 1950–1974) Books Reform of University Funding, The Funding of Higher Education in Britain | ||
Sir Graham Hills, FRSE (9 April 1926 – 9 February 2014) was a physical chemist, who was Principal of the University of Strathclyde and a Governor of the BBC. He was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex and was educated at Westcliff High School for Boys and Birkbeck College, London (BSc 1946, PhD 1950). He was knighted in 1988 for his services to education.
Contents
- Academic career
- Professional posts
- Professional committee work
- Professional fellowships
- Professional honours
- Publications
- Honors
- Obituaries
- References
Academic career
Hills served at the University of Southampton as Professor of Physical Chemistry for 18 years, until 1980. Thereafter, he became Principal at Strathclyde University. There, early focus was on accommodating government spending cuts by the University Grants Committee (UK), as well as other financial difficulties. He found alternative income sourcing, and also restructured the university to reduce its nine schools to four faculties in 1982 and to introduce early retirement for faculty members.
The financial challenge stabilized, Hill turned to expanding the university. Purchases were made in 1981 and 1987 respectively of the Barony Church (restored in 1984 and converted into a graduation hall) and Marland House (a former British Telecom office block which was renamed Graham Hills Building). New student residences were constructed on campus.
After Sir Graham's retirement, he was the driving force behind the establishment of a University of the Highlands and Islands. He moved to Inverness to participate fully in this enterprise as an advisor to the nascent University. In 2004, he co-authored with Robin Lingard the book UHI: The Making of a University, containing a comprehensive account of the background behind its establishment.
Professional posts
• Imperial College, London: Lecturer in Physical Chemistry, 1949-1962.
• University of Southampton: Professor of Physical Chemistry, 1962-1980.
• University of Western Ontario: Visiting Professor, 1968.
• Case Western Reserve University: Visiting Professor, 1969.
• University of Buenos Aires, Visiting Professor, 1977.
• University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: Principal and Vice-Chancellor, 1980-1991.
Professional committee work
• President of International Society of Electrochemistry, 1983-1985.
• Non-Executive Director: Scottish Post Office Bd, 1986-1999.
• Member: Council for Science and Technology, 1987-1993.
• Scottish Development Agency, 1988-1990.
• Member: Council for National Academic Awards, 1988-1993.
• Glasgow Action Partnership, 1989-1990.
• Scottish governor of the BBC, 1989-1994.
• Design Council, 1989-1990.
• Society of Chemical Industry, 1991-1993.
• Scottish Enterprise, 1991-1993.
• Design and Industries Association, 1992-1996.
• Chairman of the Council of Quarrier’s Homes, 1992-1997.
• Chairman of the Ness Foundation (formerly Highland Psychiatric Res.), 1998-2003.
Professional fellowships
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1990
• Fellow of Scottish Vocational Education Council, 1989
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, 1978.
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 1950.
Professional honours
• Hon. DSc: Southampton, 1984; Lisbon, 1994.
• Hon. ScD: Technical University of Lodz, Poland, 1984.
• Commander, Polish Order of Merit, 1984.
• Hon. LLD: Glasgow, 1985; Waterloo,Canada, 1991; Strathclyde, 1991
• Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, 1986,
• Hon. Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, 1988.
• Hon. Medal, University of Pavia, Italy, 1988.
• Hon. Fellow of the Polytechnic of East London, 1991.
• Hon. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 1992.
• DUniv: Paisley, 1993.
• Hon. Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, 1996.
• Hon. DEd University of Abertay Dundee, 1999.
Publications
• Hills, G. J. Reference Electrodes, 1961.
• Hills, G. J., Inheritance of Michael Faraday, (University of Southampton), 1964.
• Hills, G. J., Polarography, (Macmillan), 1964.
• Hills, G. J. (ed.) Electrochemistry: A Review of Chemical Literature: vols 1-3 (Specialist Periodical Reports), (Royal Society of Chemistry), 1970, 71, 73.
• Hills, G. J., Transactions of the Faraday Society Articles (Royal Society of Chemistry) (numerous contributions on electrochemistry.
• Hills, Graham & Lingard, Robin, UHI: The Making of a University, (Dunedin Academic Press), 2004.
Honors
Obituaries
A list of Obituaries available online and accessed 3/8/2015: