| Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1802 |
| Type | Learned society |
| Purpose/focus | "[T]o aid the study, diffusion and advancement of the arts and sciences, with their applications, and the better understanding of public affairs." |
| Headquarters | University of Strathclyde |
| Location | Glasgow |
| President | Prof Sir Roddy MacSween |
| Main organ | Council |
| Website | www.royalphil.org |
The Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow is a learned society established in 1802 "for the improvement of the Arts and Sciences" in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It runs a programme of lectures, now in its 210th Series. The Society formerly owned a building on Bath Street, but since 1994 has been accommodated within the University of Strathclyde.
Contents |
The Society was founded in 1802 as the Glasgow Philosophical Society by a meeting of sixty people in the former Assembly Rooms, and work began establishing a library collection.[1] The Society was housed in various short-term accommodation until 1831, when a room was made available in the Andersonian University (now the University of Strathclyde). The Society subsequently moved to the Corporation Galleries on Sauchiehall Street in 1868, and in 1880, in conjunction with the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland, built new premises on Bath Street.[1]
The Society was made a Royal Society in 1901,[2] shortly before its centenary, by Edward VII while Archibald Campbell, 1st Baron Blythswood was President. In 1961, the Society's building was sold and the library, which by that time contained over five thousand volumes, dispersed. The Society began renting lecture halls at the University of Strathclyde again, and in 1994 council meetings began taking place there as well.[1] The archives of the Society are now maintained by the Archives of the University of Glasgow.
The Society runs a programme of lectures through the year, including the Kelvin and Graham Lectures, commemorating physicist Lord Kelvin and chemist Thomas Graham respectively, and for which medals are awarded.[1][3]