Old Photograph Professor Alexander Crum Brown Scotland

Old photograph of Professor Alexander Crum Brown in Scotland. Alexander Crum Brown, born 26 March 1838, died 28 October 1922, was a Scottish organic chemist. Born in Edinburgh, the son of Reverend Dr John Brown, born 1784, died 1858, minister of Broughton Place Church in the east end of Edinburgh's New Town, and Margaret Fisher Crum. He was half brother of the physician and essayist John Brown, he studied for five years at the Royal High School, succeeded by one year at Mill Hill School in London, England. In 1854 he entered the universities of University of Edinburgh where he first studied Arts and then of Medicine. He was gold medallist in Chemistry and Natural Philosophy and graduated as M.A. in 1858. Continuing his medical studies, he received the degree of M.D. in 1861. During the same time he read for the science degree of University of London, and in 1862 became the first Doctor of Science at the University of London. After his graduation as Doctor of Medicine in Edinburgh he continued the study of chemistry in Germany, first under Robert Bunsen at University of Heidelberg, and then at University of Marburg under Adolph Wilhelm Hermann Kolbe. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1863 and served as its Vice President from 1905 to 1911. His address at the time of joining the Society was given as 8 Belgrave Crescent in the west end of Edinburgh. Although physically not very robust, Crum Brown spent much of his holiday time in walking in the highlands and on the continent, and was rarely ill. He married early in his professorial life, to Jane Bailie Porter. He remained intellectually active until his death in Edinburgh in 1922.



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