McCance, Sir Andrew, 1889-1983

Sir Andrew McCance was born at Cadder, Dunbartonshire and educated at Morrison's Academy, Crieff and Allan Glen's School. He graduated in metallurgy from the Royal School of Mines in 1910. He then worked for William Beardmore initially as an assistant chemist and later as assistant armour manager. He carried out experimental work at Beardmores and also at the Royal Technical College and at Glasgow University, and published a number of papers on the physical chemistry of steelmaking. He received a DSc from London University in 1916 for this research. In 1919, in partnership with T M Service and with support from Colvilles, McCance established a new company, Clyde Alloy to manufacture alloy and special steels. He was awarded the Bessemer Gold Medal by the Iron and Steel Institute in 1940, and elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1943. In 1944 he was appointed Deputy Chairman and joint Managing Director of Colvilles, and Chairman from 1956. He was knighted in 1947. From 1950 onwards McCance was Chairman of Governors of the Royal Technical College, later the Royal College of Science and Technology. During his Chairmanship, the College engaged in strenuous negotiations on university status with the University Grants Committee and the University of Glasgow, and succeeded in winning an independent Charter as the University of Strathclyde

From the guide to the Papers of Sir Andrew McCance, 1951-1984, 2004, (Strathclyde University Archives)