James Drever

James Drever
Born	1910 Edinburgh
Died	1991 Dundee, Scotland
Nationality	Scottish
Occupation	Philosopher, psychologist, Principal
Known for	First Principal of the University of Dundee

Prof James Drever FRSE LLD (1910–1991) was a Scottish academic who served as the first Principal of the University of Dundee. He has been described as 'one of the most pivotal figures in the University's history'.

James Drever was born to Orcadian parents in Edinburgh in 1910. His father was the academic James Drever (1873–1950), who had studied at the University of Edinburgh from 1889, from which he graduated with an MA before proceeding to study medicine. The elder Drever then worked at the University as assistant to the Professor of Education, before his appointment as Combe Lecturer and head of the Psychology Department at Edinburgh in 1918. James Drever was educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh,University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge and would remain in academia for the rest of his working life aside from a period of service in the Royal Navy. From 1934 he taught Philosophy at Edinburgh, joining Newcastle University as a lecturer four years later. By this time he had an interest in Psychology and taught both subjects at Newcastle. In the Second World War he served in the Royal Navy.

In 1931 his father had been promoted at Edinburgh to become the first Professor of Psychology in Scotland. In 1944 the elder Drever retired, and it was his son who was chosen as his successor, but could not take the post until the end of the war. In addition to his responsibilities as a professor and head of department, the younger Drever also served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Edinburgh from 1958 until 1960 and was a visiting professor at Princeton University from 1954 until 1955.

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