List of famous people from the University of Glasgow
The following list of University of Glasgow alumni , graduates and faculties includes a selection, in chronological order, of well-known personalities who have studied at the university since it was founded in 1481.
Nobel Prize Winner
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- Sir William Ramsay (1852–1916), Scottish chemist, winner of the 1904 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Frederick Soddy (1877–1956), English chemist, winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr (1880–1971), biologist, winner of the 1949 Nobel Peace Prize
- Sir Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron of Trumpington (1907–1997), British chemist, winner of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Sir Derek Harold Richard Barton (1918–1998), British chemist, winner of the 1969 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Sir James Whyte Black (1924–2010), pharmacologist, winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
art
- Richard Claverhouse Jebb (1841–1905), Scottish politician and classical philologist
- Hannah Frank (1908–2008), Scottish artist and sculpture maker
history
- William Young Sellar (1825–1890), Scottish archaeologist
- Lewis Campbell (1830–1908), British archaeologist
- Sir William Wilson Hunter (1840–1900), British writer, historian and Indologist
- Sir Richard Lodge (1855-1936), English historian
- F. Marian McNeill (1885–1973), social historian and author of "The Silver Bough"
- Bernard Wasserstein (* 1948), Israeli historian
- Hew Strachan (* 1949), Scottish military historian
Philosophy and theology
- William Elphinstone (1431–1514), Bishop of Aberdeen , founder of the University of Aberdeen
- David Beaton (1473–1546), Scottish Cardinal and Archbishop of St Andrews
- James Beaton II (1517–1603), Archbishop of Glasgow and St Andrews , Primate of Scotland
- Andrew Melville (1545–1622), Scottish theologian, religious reformer
- Zachary Boyd (1585-1653) Scottish theologian and author
- John Abernethy (1680–1740), Irish Presbyterian church leader and minister
- Francis Hutcheson (1694–1746), Irish philosopher and economist
- Thomas Reid (1710–1796), Scottish philosopher
- Adam Smith (1723–1790), Scottish moral philosopher, founder of classical economics
- John HD Anderson (1726–1796), Scottish natural philosopher, founder of the University of Strathclyde
- Semyon Desnitsky (around 1740–1789), first academic outside Russia, professor at Lomonossow University in Moscow
- Alexander Campbell (1788–1866), Scottish-American pastor, co-founder of the Restoration Movement
- Dugald Stewart (1753-1828), Scottish philosopher
- William McIntyre (1806–1870), Australian-Scottish missionary and educator
- Archibald Campbell Tait (1811–1882), Archbishop of Canterbury , Church of England priest
- David Livingstone (1813–1873), Scottish missionary, African explorer , explorer
- Alexander Bain (1818–1903), Scottish philosopher and educator
- Alexander Campbell Fraser (1819–1914), Scottish professor of philosophy
- Cosmo Gordon, Baron Lang of Lambeth (1864–1945), Archbishop of York and Archbishop of Canterbury
- William Barclay (1907–1978), British theologian, author and professor at the University of Glasgow
- William Frend (1916–2005), British church historian
- John Macquarrie (1919–2007), Scottish theologian and philosopher, professor of theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York and Oxford
- David Jasper (* 1951), Anglican priest and theologian
- George Newlands , Scottish theologian, Professor Emeritus of Theology at the University of Glasgow
science
medicine
- William Hunter (1718–1783) Scottish medic and anatomist
- John Hunter (1728–1793), Scottish anatomist, founder of scientific surgery
- James McCune Smith (1813–1865), American doctor, pharmacist and abolitionist , first physician to experiment with Western and African medicine
- Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister (1827–1912), English surgeon, father of antiseptic surgery
- William Macewen (1848–1924), surgeon, Regius Professor in Glasgow
- Donald MacAlister (1854–1934), Scottish physician, director of the University of Glasgow
- Robert Broom (1866–1951), South African physician and paleontologist
- Charles Illingworth (1899–1991), surgeon, Regius Professor in Glasgow
- Ian Donald (1910–1987), British gynecologist, pioneer of prenatal diagnostics
- Bryan J. Jennett (1926–2008), Irish-Scottish professor of neurosurgery, inventor of the Glasgow Coma Scale
- Ronald D. Laing (1927–1989), British psychiatrist, co-founder of the anti-psychiatric movement.
Mathematics, physics, astronomy
- Robert Simson (1687–1768), Scottish mathematician and geometer
- Colin Maclaurin (1698–1746), Scottish mathematician
- Joseph Black (1728–1799), French-Scottish physicist and chemist, discoverer of carbon dioxide, the element magnesium and latent heat
- James Watt (1736–1819), Scottish mathematician, engineer and inventor
- John Scott Russell (1808–1882), British engineer, shipbuilder and physicist, builder of the Great Eastern
- William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (1824–1907), Irish mathematician, physicist
- John Kerr (1824–1907), Scottish physicist, discoverer of the Kerr effect
- Henry Dyer (1848-1918), Scottish engineer
- Percy Sinclair Pilcher (1866–1899), English inventor, aviation pioneer
- John Logie Baird (1888–1946), Scottish engineer and inventor, inventor of television broadcasting
- Samarajeewa Karunaratne (* 1937), Sri Lankan engineering professor , head of the Sri Lankan Academic
- Bill Napier (* 1940), Scottish asteroid researcher, well-known opponent of the Big Bang theory
- Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell (* 1943), Irish radio astronomer, co-discoverer of neutron stars
- Professor John Brown (born 1947), British Professor of Astronomy, Astronomer Royal for Scotland
- A. Catrina Bryce (* 1956), Scottish physicist and electronics engineer
Life science
- David Douglas (1799–1834), Scottish botanist and plant hunter
- Thomas Graham (1805–1869), British chemist and physicist
- Jokichi Takamine (1854–1922), Japanese chemist and samurai
- Sir Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron of Trumpington (1907–1997), British chemist, 1957 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry
- George William Gray (1926–2013), life scientist, chemist, pioneer in the development of liquid crystal displays , winner of the Kyoto Prize and the Leverhulme Medal
literature
- Robert Henryson († 1500), Scottish poet and poet
- Walter Kennedy (approx. 1455 − approx. 1508), Scottish Makar, poet
- Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair (approx. 1698–1770), Gaelic bard, Jacobite captain
- Tobias Smollett (1721–1771), Scottish writer
- James Boswell (1740–1795), Scottish lawyer, author, diary writer
- John Jamieson (1759–1838), Scottish lexicographer
- Thomas Campbell (1777–1844), Scottish poet
- John Wilson (1785-1854), Scottish writer
- David Gray (1838–1861), Scottish poet
- Robert Williams Buchanan (1841–1901), Scottish poet, novelist and playwright
- John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (1875–1940), Scottish writer, journalist, publicist and Governor General of Canada
- James Bridie (Osborne Henry Mavor) (1888–1951), surgeon, playwright, screenwriter, founder of the Glasgow Citizens' Theater
- Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896–1981), Scottish doctor and writer
- Jane Duncan (Elizabeth Jane Cameron) (1910–1976), Scottish author
- Alexander Trocchi (1925–1984), Scottish writer
- Helen MacInnes (1907–1985), American writer
- James Herriot (James Alfred Wight) (1916–1995), British veterinary surgeon, author
- Edwin Morgan (1920-2010), Scottish interpreter, poet
- Derick S. Thomson (Ruaraidh MacThòmais) (1921–2012), Scottish Gaelic author, lexicographer and academic
- Alistair MacLean (1922–1987), Scottish thriller writer
- Philip Hobsbaum (1932-2005), British critic, poet and teacher
- Alasdair Gray (1934–2019), Scottish writer and artist
- William McIllvanney (1936-2015), Scottish crime writer
- Aonghas MacNeacail (* 1942), Gaelic poet writer
- Tom Leonard (* 1944), poet with Glaswegian dialect, essayist
- James Kelman (* 1946), Scottish author of novels, short stories and essays
- Liz Lochhead (born 1947), Scottish poet and playwright
- Ann Marie Di Mambro (born 1950), Scottish playwright, TV screenwriter
- William Boyd (born 1952), Scottish writer, screenwriter and director
- Ken MacLeod (born 1954), Scottish science fiction author
- Janice Galloway (* 1955), Scottish writer
- Janice Hally (* 1959), Scottish playwright, TV screenwriter
- Christopher Brookmyre (* 1968), Scottish novelist
- Lin Anderson , Scottish crime writer
Judiciary
- James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair (1619–1695), Scottish lawyer and statesman
- Thomas Miller, Lord Glenlee (1717–1789), former Lord Advocate and Lord President of the Court of Session (1766–1787)
- Henry Erskine (1746–1817), Scottish politician and former Lord Advocate
- Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (1773–1789), Scottish literary critic and Senator of the College of Justice
- John Inglis, Lord Glencorse (1810-1891), Scottish politician and judge, Lord President of the Court of Session (1867-1891)
- Charles Dickson, Lord Dickson (1850–1922) Scottish politician and judge, former Lord Advocate and Lord President of the Court of Session (1915–1922)
- Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde (1853–1928), former Lord Advocate and Lord President of the Court of Session (1914–1928)
- Alexander Munro MacRobert (1873–1930), Scottish judge, politician and former Lord Advocate
- Douglas Jamieson, Lord Jamieson (1880–1952), former Lord Advocate and Senator of the College of Justice
- William Rankine Milligan, Lord Milligan (1898–1975) Scottish judge and politician, former Lord Advocate and Senator of the College of Justice
- Harald Leslie, Lord Birsay (1905–1982) Scottish attorney and judge, Chairman of the Scottish Land Court
- John Wheatley, Baron Wheatley (1908–1988) Scottish judge, politician, former Lord Advocate and Lord Justice Clerk, founder of Scottish Legal Aid
- Henry Wilson, Baron Wilson of Langside (1916–1997), Scottish politician, former Lord Advocate and Senator at the College of Justice
- George Emslie, Baron Emslie (1919–2002), Scottish judge, Brigade Major in World War II, Lord President of the Court of Session (1972–1989)
- Norman Wylie, Lord Wylie (1923-2005) Scottish politician, former Lord Advocate and Senator of the College of Justice
- Ian Hamilton (* 1925), Scottish nationalist and lawyer
- Charles Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle (1925–2007), British judge and lawyer, Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
- James Chadwin QC (1930-2006), Scottish barrister who defended Peter Sutcliffe ("Yorkshire Ripper")
- Alan Watson (* 1933), Scottish expert on legal history and Roman law
- Derry Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg (* 1940), British politician and lawyer, former Lord Chancellor
- Arthur Hamilton, Lord Hamilton (* 1942), current Lord President of the Court of Session (2005-?)
- Lord Roger of Earlsferry (1944–2011), Scottish attorney and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
- Iain Bonomy, Lord Bonomy (* 1946), Scottish Senator of the College of Justice and Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
- Hazel Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove (* 1946), Scottish judge, first senator to the Court of Session
- Gerry Maher , Scottish Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Edinburgh .
- Matthew Clarke, Lord Clarke , Senator from the College of Justice
politics
- Thomas Muir (1765–1799), Scottish political reformer
- Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman 1836–1908), British Liberal Party politician , former British Prime Minister
- James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce (1838–1922), Irish lawyer, historian and politician
- Andrew Bonar Law (1858–1923), British Conservative Party politician , former British Prime Minister
- John Wheatley (1869–1930), Scottish social politician, senior figure of the Red Clydeside era
- Robert Horne, 1st Viscount Horne of Slamannan (1871–1940), Scottish lawyer and businessman, former Chancellor of the Exchequer and politician with the Scottish Unionist Party
- John Maclean (1879–1923), Scottish Marxist , leading figure of the Red Clydeside era
- Thomas Johnston (1881–1965), Scottish Labor Party politician, former Secretary of State of Scotland
- Albert Russell (1884–1975), Scottish Unionist Party politician , judge
- James Maxton (1885–1946), Scottish politician, former leader of the Independent Labor Party
- John Bannerman, Baron Bannerman of Kildonan (1901–1969), Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, farmer and athlete
- John MacCormick (1904–1961), Scottish politician, founder of the National Party of Scotland
- Ian Hamilton QC (born 1925), Scottish National Party politician , reintroducer of the Stone of Destiny and the Crown Attorneys
- Donald Dewar (1937–2000), Scottish Labor Party politician, former First Minister of Scotland
- John Smith (1938–1994), Labor Party Leader and British Cabinet Secretary
- Sir Walter Menzies Campbell (* 1941), Scottish politician of the Liberal Democrats , Member of the British House of Commons
- Sir Neil MacCormick (1941–2009), English legal scholar, Member of the European Parliament , Member of the European Convention
- Margaret Ewing (1945–2006), Scottish politician with the Scottish National Party and Member of the Scottish Parliament
- Anne McGuire (* 1949), Scottish Labor Party politician, MP
- Des Browne (* 1952), Scottish Labor Party politician , former Secretary of Defense , Member of the British Parliament
- Charles Kennedy (1959–2015, Scottish politician, former leader of the Liberal Democrats
- Liam Fox (* 1961), British politician, former Chairman of the Conservative Party
- Nasharudin Mat Isa (* 1962), Malaysian politician, Member of the Parliament of Malaysia , Vice-President of the opposition Pan Malaysian Islamic Party
Public service
- Sir Bill Jeffrey (* 1948), British civil servant, Permanent Secretary of the British Department of Defense
- Sir Muir Russell (* 1949), Scottish Secretary of State for the Scottish Office of the Permanent Secretary
Social science
- Sir James Frazer (1854–1941), Scottish anthropologist, religious scholar and classical philologist
- Alexander Nove (1915–1944), Russian economics historian
- Sally Baldwin (1940-2003), Scottish social policy researcher
- Ljubo Sirc (1920–2016), Slovenian economist and author
- Anton Muscatelli (* 1962), Italian economist and principal of the University of Glasgow
Business
- James McGill (1744–1813), Scottish-Canadian fur-trader and philanthropist
- Tom McKillop (born 1943), chemist, pharmacist, Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group
- Fred Goodwin (* 1958), CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group
music
- Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and Paul Joseph Moore of The Blue Nile
- Ramesh Srivastava, musician and songwriter; Singer and founding member of the band Voxtrot
- Sydney MacEwan (1908–1991), Scottish tenor, Scottish and Irish folk singer
- Stuart Murdoch (* 1968), musician and songwriter; Founding member of the band Belle & Sebastian
media
- John Grierson (1898–1972), British filmmaker, father of documentary films
- Andrew Neil (born 1949), Scottish journalist and entertainer
- Tom Morton (* 1955), Scottish radio host, writer and musician
- Anne MacKenzie (* 1960), Scottish show host and news anchor
- Shereen Nanjiani (* 1961), Pakistani-Scottish radio host and news anchor
- Gerard Butler (born 1969), Scottish film actor
Sports
- Andrew Watson (1856–1921), Scottish international and the first black national player in football history
- James Reid-Kerr (1883–1915), Scottish national cricket player and professional rugby player
See also
- University of Glasgow
- Rectors of the University of Glasgow
- Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the University of Glasgow
- List of universities in Scotland