William Weipers

Life

Weipers was borne in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire. A son of the manse, he was educated at Whitehill Higher Grade School in Glasgow, and went on to graduate MRCVS from the Glasgow Veterinary College in 1925. He went into general practice from 1925 until 1949, apart from a period of two years (1927 to 1929) when he became a member of staff of the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College. A pioneering small animal surgeon, he introduced closed circuit anaesthesia to veterinary practice and was known for small animal orthopaedics.

When the private veterinary colleges were brought into the ambit of the university system, Weipers was made the first Director of Veterinary Education at the University of Glasgow (1949–1974); Professor of Veterinary Surgery from 1951 to 1974, and the Dean of the Glasgow Veterinary Faculty from 1969 until 1974. He supported the creation of a veterinary school which became renowned for teaching and research. He was knighted in 1966 for his services to Veterinary Education.

Among students of Weipers were James W. Black and veterinarians such as Sir James Armour, Professor WFH Jarrett FRS, Professor RJ Roberts FRSE and Professor M Murray FRSE. All of them presented the Weipers Memorial Lecture, a biennial talk at the University of Glasgow.

On his retirement Weipers devoted time to arboriculture but also played a role in the establishment of academic aquaculture, as chairman of the management committee of the Nuffield Institute of Aquaculture, at the University of Stirling. For this work he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University in 1978. He was later awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery by his alma mater (1982).

Weipers died in 1990 at the age of 86.

Family

Weipers married Mary née McLean, a Gaelic-speaking veterinary graduate from Barra who died in 1986. They had one daughter, Janet.