George Thomson was born on 5 June 1904 in Carluke. He first matriculated at the University of Glasgow in 1921 , aged 17. He graduated BSc in 1925 and obtained his PhD in 1929 . In 1927 he was appointed to the staff of the Chemistry Department in the University, where he remained as a lecturer until he retired in 1969 . Apart from chemistry, Dr Thomson published works on the industrial history of Lanarkshire, including work on the Monkland Canal and the iron and steel industry. Perhaps his most notable work is The Third Statistical Account of Scotland: The County of Lanark (volume 8), published in 1960. Thomson was awarded the MBE in 1969 for his services to music in Scotland. He died on 20 March 1979 .
From the guide to the Papers of George Thomson, 1904-1979, chemistry lecturer, 1927-1969, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1839-1979, (Glasgow University Archives Service)
