Peter Redford Scott Lang

Peter Redford Scott Lang

Sir Peter Redford Scott Lang VD FRSE (1850–1926) was a Scottish mathematician and Regius Professor at St Andrews University. In the 1880s he instituted “Common Dinners” to bring the students together for joint meals (often referred to as “commies”). This had a major impact upon student social life and was thereafter adopted by several Scottish universities. In memory of this St Andrews University hold an annual Scott Lang Dinner.^[1]

Life

He was born in Edinburgh on 8 October 1850, the youngest of six children of Robert Laidlaw Lang (b.1808), an advocate’s clerk, and his wife, Barbara Turnbull Cochrane. They lived at 125 Fountainbridge in the south-west of the city.^[2] He was educated at the Edinburgh Institution (now known as Stewarts Melville College) and then studied Mathematics and Natural Philosophy (Physics) at Edinburgh University. His university studies were interspersed with training as a life assurance clerk. He graduated MA BSc in 1872 and began assisting in lectures in Natural Philosophy at the Edinburgh University.^[3]

In 1878 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir Robert Christison, Peter Guthrie Tait, David Stevenson, and John Hutton Balfour. In 1879 he moved to St Andrews University as Professor of Mathematics.^[4] During his time at St Andrews he purchased a house on South Street. He rose to also be Dean of the Faculty of Arts within the university.^[5]

In 1900 he appears as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 1st Fifeshire Royal Garrison Artillery. He had served as a volunteer for at least twenty years, gaining the Victorian Officer’s Decoration (VD).^[6] The battalion were based at the no 7 battery at Anstruther.^[7]

He was knighted in 1921 by King George V on the point of his retiral. In 1922 the University of St Andrews awarded him an honorary doctorate (LLD).^[8]

He died at home in St Andrews on 5 July 1926. He is buried in St Andrews Cathedral Churchyard.

Family

He was married to Alice M Dickson from Colinton. They had one daughter, Edith Mary Lang.^[9]

References