Robert Rait
|
Sir Robert Rait CBE DL |
|
|---|---|
| Principal of the University of Glasgow | |
|
In office 1929–1936 |
|
| Preceded by | Sir Donald MacAlister |
| Succeeded by | Sir Hector Hetherington |
| Professor of Scottish History and Literature, Glasgow | |
|
In office 1913–1930 |
|
| Preceded by | New Chair |
| Succeeded by | J. D. Mackie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 February 1874 Cowdenbeath, Fife |
| Died | 25 May 1936 (aged 62) |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Bridge |
| Alma mater |
University of Aberdeen New College, Oxford |
Sir Robert Sangster Rait CBE DL (1874–1936) was a Scottish historian, Historiographer Royal and Principal of the University of Glasgow.
Rait was born on 10 February 1874 in Narborough, Leicestershire, although the family moved shortly afterwards to Aberdeen. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, graduating MA in 1894. He then worked briefly as an assistant to the Professor of Logic at the University, publishing his first book, Universities of Aberdeen: A History, in 1895, before being elected to an Exhibition in Modern History at New College, Oxford in 1896. He was awarded First Class Honours, won the Stanhope Prize and was elected a Fellow of the College the same year. He worked as a lecturer at the College for three years, and in 1903 became a tutor.
In 1913, Rait was appointed to the newly created Chair in Scottish History and Literature at the University of Glasgow, funded through the proceeds of the 1911 Scottish Exhibition of National History, Art, and Industry, held in the adjacent Kelvingrove Park. In this role he sought to engage more closely with students than was traditional for academics at the time, inviting students to tea at his home. From 1915–1918 during the First World War, Rait worked at the War Trade Intelligence Department in London, and was appointed a CBE in 1918. In 1919, he was appointed Historiographer Royal of Scotland, also serving for a time as Dean of the Faculty of Arts in the University. He became a prominent figure in the intellectual and cultural life of the city, frequently contributing letters and articles to the Glasgow Herald, often anonymously.
...
Wikipedia