Hugh Walker was born in Kilbirnie, Scotland, on January 7th 1855. Educated at Glasgow High School, he went on to study at the city's university, where he was awarded their medal in logic and moral philosophy, and achieved his MA. Walker then went on to study at Balliol College, Oxford, as Snell Exhibitioner, graduating with first class honours in Literary Humanities in 1883. He would go on to receive and Honorary LLD from Glasgow and an Honorary DLitt from the University of Wales.
In 1884, Walker was appointed Lecturer in English and Philosophy at St. David's College, Lampeter. In 1890, he was made Professor in these same subjects. Whilst at Lampeter, he regularly contributed to the college magazine. He loved the town and college dearly. He was mayor from 1900 to 1902, and the Vice-Principal's house on campus became affectionately known as 'Walker's House'.
Walker also published widely. His works include Three Centuries of Scottish Literature, 1893; The Literature of the Victorian Era, 1910, and The English Satire and Satirists, 1925, along with frequent contributions to journals such as the Yale Review, Hibbert Journal and Chambers' Journal . He died in 1939.
From the guide to the Professor Hugh Walker Papers, 1903-1934, (University of Wales, Trinity St David)
