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Alexander Geddes (meteorologist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alexander Ebenezer McLean Geddes OBE FRSE (8 February 1885-26 December 1970) was a Scottish meteorologist and physicist. He was generally known as Sandy Geddes and nicknamed Siccer Sandy (meaning Sandy).[1]

Life

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He was born in Fordyce, Aberdeenshire on 8 February 1885 and educated at Fordyce Academy. He then attended the University of Aberdeen, graduating with an MA in 1906. In 1908 he became an assistant lecturer at the university teaching natural philosophy (Physics). He received a doctorate (DSc) in 1913.

In the First World War he joined the Royal Flying Corps as a meteorologist[2] at the rank of Lieutenant.[3] He was transferred to the Royal Engineers and served in France and Belgium. He rose to the rank of Captain and was three times mentioned in dispatches. He was awarded a military OBE after the war.[4] In 1919 he returned to the University of Aberdeen as a lecturer.

In 1930 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Archibald Goldie, Sir Ernest Wedderburn, Arthur Crichton Mitchell, and Ralph Allan Sampson.[5]

In 1946 became a Reader. He retired in 1955, and in the same year the university granted him an honorary doctorate (LLD).

He died on 26 December 1970.

Publications

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  • Meteorology: An Introductory Treatise (1921)

References

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  1. ^ "RootsWeb: MORAY-L Re: [MORAY] RE: Names". archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016.
  2. ^ History of the Meteorological Office, by Malcolm Walker
  3. ^ "University of Aberdeen provisional roll of service 1914-15". National Library of Scotland. p. 8. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Geddes, Alexander Ebenezer Mclean | Roll of Honour | Roll of Honour | The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  5. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2016.