Samuel James Thomson was born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland on 27 September 1922 . He was educated at Hamilton Academy. He continued his studies and entered the University of Glasgow in 1940 where he interrupted his studies to voluntarily join the army in 1943. He was commissioned to the Royal Signals and served in India and Malaya as Lieutenant. Samuel James Thomson returned to Glasgow in 1946 and graduated with the degree of BSc in 1947, PhD in 1951 and DSc in 1966 .
He was awarded an Associateship in 1949 and Fellowship in 1955 with the Royal Institute of Chemistry. He was also a member of the Chemical Society, and the Faraday Society. On completion of his PhD, Samuel James Thomson lectured in radiochemistry at the University of Durham, 1951-1957. In 1957 he began lecturing at the University of Glasgow where he became senior lecturer in 1961, Reader in 1968 and Titular Professor in 1973 . In 1979 he became the Director of Chemical laboratories. From 1959 he was also a University Scientific Training Officer for the Scottish Home Department on aspects of nuclear warfare. He also served on a wide variety of University committees, including the convenorship, over the period 1964-72, of the committee for the design and building of the Boyd Orr building. He retired in September 1987 .
Samuel James Thomson wrote numerous articles and a book entitled: Heterogeneous Catalysis , (1967), along with G Webb. He died on 4 March 2006.
From the guide to the Papers of Samuel James Thomson, 1922-2006, chemist, director of chemical laboratories, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1979-1987, 1963-1973, (Glasgow University Archives Service)
