Davidson, J. N. (James Norman)

James Norman Davidson was born 5 March 1911 , son of James Davidson FRSE. He married Morag McLeod BSc PhD in 1938 and had 2 daughters. He was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, Scotland, and the University of Edinburgh where he received a First Class Honours Chemistry degree in 1934 and an MB ChB in 1937 . He was the Vans Dunlop Entrance Scholar in Medicine, Robert Wilson Memorial Prizeman and Wellcome Gold Medalist. He received his MD in 1939 and DSc in 1945 . He was the Carnegie Research Fellow in Biochemistry at Kaiser Wilhelm Institut fur Zellphysiologie, Berlin-Dahlem 1937-1938, Lecturer in Biochemistry at University College, Dundee , Scotland 1938-1940 , and at the University of Aberdeen 1940-1945 . He was a member of the Scientific Staff of the Medical Research Council 1945-1946, and Professor of Biochemistry at the University of London 1946-1947. In 1947 , he was appointed Gardiner Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Glasgow , the post in which he held until his death.

He guest lectured all over the world and was examiner in Biochemistry for many UK Universities. He was a member and office bearer of many organisations including the Board of Management of Glasgow Royal Infirmary from 1948-1968 and he was President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1958-1959. He published widely including The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids which had its 9th edition published by Chapman and Hall in 1981. He died on 11 September 1972 . His widow subsequently endowed a University of Glasgow Prize in Biochemistry in memory of her late husband. The University named the building which houses the Biochemistry Department after him in 1999.

Sources: Who's Who and University of Glasgow records

From the guide to the Papers of James Norman Davidson, 1911-1972, Professor of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1947-1972, 1921-2002, (Glasgow University Archive Services)