William Couper

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William Couper (* 1792 ; † August 4, 1857 in East Kilpatrick ) was Regius Professor of Natural History (1829–1857) at the University of Glasgow and, initially together with his father, the Regius Professor of Astronomy James Couper , curator (Joint Keeper) of the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery from 1830 to 1836.

Life

William was the second son of the astronomer James Couper. He studied medicine in Glasgow and graduated with an MA in 1811 and an MD in 1816. Couper's father, James, was appointed Regius Professor of Astronomy at the university in a position that placed little on him. At the same time, however, he was active and endowed with a sense of family and only gave his eldest son, also James, the role of keeper of the Hunter's collection. When he got another position, he secured William this honor and gave him the role of Regius Professor of Natural History, which usually went along with the curature. Even if the protection suggests otherwise, William was a capable mineralogist who could also convey this topic. In addition to his professorship, Couper also practiced medicine in Glasgow. Later his son John also supported him in practice.

His subject, natural history , combined zoology , mineralogy and geology at the time . Above all, the zoology part was important, as physicians were trained in comparative anatomy and the professor took on this task. In addition to this professorship, the university also led him as a professor of chemistry and also as one of the first surgeons at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He was also involved in a chemical company, the Charles Tennant & Co. On January 25, 1819 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .

In 1855 his health began to fail. In place of the incumbent, Professor Nichols taught mineralogy and crystallogy. At the same time, the university management looked for a successor and made contact with Henry Darwin Rogers , who felt that America was a “country without friendship”. By the time Couper died in 1857, Rogers was already in Glasgow and ready and well known that he was awarded the professorship.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c unknown: William Couper. Graduate Record for William Couper. In: University of Glasgow website. University of Glasgow, June 12, 2009, accessed June 3, 2019 .
  2. ↑ unknown: Zoology (Regius Chair). In: University of Glasgow website. University of Glasgow, April 20, 2008, accessed June 4, 2019 .
  3. ↑ unknown: James Couper. In: The University of Glasgow Story on the University of Glasgow website. Retrieved April 23, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Name details -. Retrieved April 23, 2019 .
  5. ^ A b c Author D (University of Glasgow Clarke, Scotland): Reflections on the Astronomy of Glasgow . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2013, ISBN 978-0-7486-7891-4 , pp. 124 ff .
  6. ^ A b David Clarke: Reflections on the Astronomy of Glasgow . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2013, ISBN 978-0-7486-7892-1 , pp. 125/126 .
  7. ^ A b c d T. Reed Ferguson: The John Couper Family at Cannon's Point . Mercer University Press, 1996, ISBN 978-0-86554-454-3 , pp. 10 .
  8. ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed October 18, 2019 .
  9. ↑ a b c Patsy Gerstner: Henry Darwin Rogers, 1800 - 1866: American Geologist . University of Alabama Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0-8173-5819-8 , pp. 198 .
personal data
SURNAME Couper, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish medic, naturalist and university professor
DATE OF BIRTH 1792
DATE OF DEATH 4th August 1857
Place of death East Kilpatrick