Duncan Cameron (university administrator)
Encyclopedia
Duncan Inglis Cameron was a university administrator and Secretary of Heriot-Watt University
, Edinburgh
.
, he attended the academically rigorous Glasgow High School
, and then went on to study Law
at the University of Glasgow
. During the years 1945 - 1948, he performed his national service
flying with the RAF, after which he began his administrative career as a Chartered Accountant
's apprentice with Alfred Tongue & Co. In 1951 he progressed to become a qualified assistant with Cooper Bros & Co.
Duncan's first step into working within a university came in 1952, when he was appointed an assistant accountant of Edinburgh University. He remained at Edinburgh for thirteen years until 1965 when he was chosen as Secretary of the new Heriot-Watt University
, also based in Edinburgh, a position he would go on to hold for quarter of a century.
in 1967 and became one of Britain's new breed of technological universities. Duncan Cameron would serve as the university's secretary for 25 years until his retirement in 1992. During his time at Heriot-Watt, he worked with no fewer than five principals, two acting principals, four chairmen of court and two chancellors.
Cameron's legacies to the university are many and most notably include:
, awarded by the King Olav V in 1979. He was also an active member of the Norwegian Scottish Association. He served as justice of the peace for several decades and was a highly respected session clerk of St Ninian's Church in Corstorphine
, Edinburgh.
From 1983-1988 he served as chairman of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
and from 1989, became an honorary fellow. In 1990 he was awarded an OBE
by the Queen and the following year, in 1991, the honorary degree of Doctor of the University was conferred on him by Heriot-Watt. His obituary was published in The Scotsman
on Tuesday 6 June 2006.
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Early life
Born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, he attended the academically rigorous Glasgow High School
High School of Glasgow
The High School of Glasgow is an independent, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded as the Choir School of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, it is the oldest school in Scotland, and the twelfth oldest in the United Kingdom. It remained part of the Church as the city's grammar...
, and then went on to study Law
University of Glasgow School of Law
The School of Law at the University of Glasgow provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Law, and awards the degrees of Bachelor of Laws , Master of Laws , Master of Science , Master of Research and Doctor of Philosophy , the degree of Doctor of Laws...
at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
. During the years 1945 - 1948, he performed his national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
flying with the RAF, after which he began his administrative career as a Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
's apprentice with Alfred Tongue & Co. In 1951 he progressed to become a qualified assistant with Cooper Bros & Co.
Duncan's first step into working within a university came in 1952, when he was appointed an assistant accountant of Edinburgh University. He remained at Edinburgh for thirteen years until 1965 when he was chosen as Secretary of the new Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
, also based in Edinburgh, a position he would go on to hold for quarter of a century.
University Secretary of Heriot-Watt
Heriot Watt University gained its Royal CharterRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1967 and became one of Britain's new breed of technological universities. Duncan Cameron would serve as the university's secretary for 25 years until his retirement in 1992. During his time at Heriot-Watt, he worked with no fewer than five principals, two acting principals, four chairmen of court and two chancellors.
Cameron's legacies to the university are many and most notably include:
- In 1967, initiating one of the first chairs in accountancyAccountancyAccountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
and financeFinance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, an innovative approach for training graduate-level accountants.
- Between 1969 and 1992, Cameron played a key role in the transfer of Heriot-Watt's campusCampusA campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
from its city location to a new campus at RiccartonRiccarton, EdinburghRiccarton is an area in Edinburgh's Green Belt, in Scotland. It is mainly undeveloped, with much farmland and few houses.Riccarton is to the west of the Edinburgh City Bypass , and is known for being the location of Heriot-Watt University's main campus, as well as the Heart of Midlothian F.C...
, an ambitious yet highly successful plan involving many negotiations with the University Grants Committee.
- Duncan had a strong vision for developing strategy for the transfer of technology and techniques into industry. This vision resulted in such entities as Unilink, the pioneering industrial liaison unit, dedicated technology transfer units including the Institute of Offshore Engineering, Computer Applications Services, the Medical LaserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
Unit, the Marine Science Unit and the opening of the first UK university research park in 971.
- Heriot-Watt's reputation as 'Norway's University in Scotland' was largely due to Duncan Cameron's work in establishing links with Norway. He was later recognised for his achievements by the King of Norway.
- From 1967 to 1990, Duncan represented Heriot-Watt's interests on the Universities Central Council on AdmissionsUniversities Central Council on AdmissionsUCCA, the Universities Central Council on Admissions, provided a central clearing house for university applications in the United Kingdom from its formation in 1961 until its merger with PCAS to form UCAS in 1993....
.
Achievements outside work
Duncan Cameron contributed much to society outside of his work with Heriot-Watt. His work to strengthen Scotland's historical links with Norway were honoured with the Royal Norwegian Order of St. OlavThe Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav is a Norwegian order of chivalry that was instituted by King Oscar I of Norway and Sweden on August 21, 1847, as a distinctly Norwegian order. It is named after King Olav II, known for posterity as St. Olav. Nobility was abolished in Norway in 1821...
, awarded by the King Olav V in 1979. He was also an active member of the Norwegian Scottish Association. He served as justice of the peace for several decades and was a highly respected session clerk of St Ninian's Church in Corstorphine
Corstorphine
Corstorphine was originally a village to the west of—and separate from—Edinburgh, Scotland, and is now a suburb of that city.Corstorphine retains a busy main street with many independent small shops, although a number have closed in recent years since the opening of several retail parks...
, Edinburgh.
From 1983-1988 he served as chairman of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Royal Scottish Geographical Society
The Royal Scottish Geographical Society is a learned society founded in 1884 and based in Perth. The Society has a membership of 2500 and aims to advance the science of geography worldwide by supporting education, research, expeditions, through its journal , its newsletter and other publications...
and from 1989, became an honorary fellow. In 1990 he was awarded an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by the Queen and the following year, in 1991, the honorary degree of Doctor of the University was conferred on him by Heriot-Watt. His obituary was published in The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
on Tuesday 6 June 2006.