100 Notable alumni of
University of Glasgow
Updated:
The University of Glasgow is 120th in the world, 44th in Europe, and 9th in the United Kingdom by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Glasgow sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Gerard Butler
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorlawyerfilm actorstage actor
- Biography
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Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor and film producer. After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as Mrs Brown (1997), the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and Tale of the Mummy (1998). In 2000, he starred as Count Dracula in the gothic horror film Dracula 2000. He played Attila the Hun in the miniseries Attila (2001), then appeared in the films Reign of Fire (2002) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003) before starring in the science fiction film Timeline (2003). He played Erik, The Phantom in Joel Schumacher's 2004 musical The Phantom of the Opera.
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Adam Smith
- Occupations
- non-fiction writerpublisherFrench moralisteconomistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Adam Smith was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by many as the "father of economics" or the "father of capitalism", he is primarily known for two classic works: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). The latter, often abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations, is regarded as his magnum opus, marking the inception of modern economic scholarship as a comprehensive system and an academic discipline. Smith refuses to explain the distribution of wealth and power in terms of divine will and instead appeals to natural, political, social, economic, legal, environmental and technological factors, as well as the interactions among them. The work is notable for its contribution to economic theory, particularly in its exposition of the concept of absolute advantage.
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James Watt
- Occupations
- chemistentrepreneurphysicisttechnicianmathematician
- Biography
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James Watt FRS FRSE was a Scottish inventor, engineer and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776, which was fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.
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David Livingstone
- Occupations
- explorerwriterphysician writergeographermissionary
- Biography
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David Livingstone was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. Livingstone was married to Mary Moffat Livingstone, from the prominent 18th-century Moffat missionary family. Livingstone came to have a mythic status as a Protestant missionary martyr, working-class "rags-to-riches" inspirational story, scientific investigator and explorer, imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader, and advocate of British commercial and colonial expansion. As a result, he became one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century Victorian era.
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Nicola Sturgeon
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2014 to 2023. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999, firstly as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region, and then as the member for Glasgow Southside (formerly Glasgow Govan) from 2007.
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John Logie Baird
- Occupations
- writerentrepreneurphysicist
- Biography
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John Logie Baird was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer and innovator who demonstrated the world's first mechanical television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly demonstrated colour television system and the first viable purely electronic colour television picture tube.
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Peter Mullan
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorscreenwriterfilm actorstage actor
- Biography
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Peter Mullan is a Scottish actor and filmmaker. His credits include Riff-Raff (1991), Shallow Grave (1994), Braveheart (1995), Trainspotting (1996), My Name Is Joe (1998), The Claim (2000), Neds (2010), War Horse (2011), The Fixer (2008), Top of the Lake (2013), Mum (2016–2019), Ozark (2017–2018), Westworld (2018–2020), Cursed (2020), The North Water (2021), The Underground Railroad (2021), The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022–2024), After the Party (2023), and Baghead (2023).
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John Knox
- Occupations
- writerChristian ministertheologianpolitician
- Biography
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John Knox was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the reformer of the Church of Scotland.
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Emeli Sandé
- Occupations
- singersinger-songwriterlyricistcomposermusician
- Biography
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Adele Emily Sandé, known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose to prominence after her guest appearance on Chipmunk's 2009 single "Diamond Rings", which peaked within the top ten of the UK Singles Chart. The following year, she guest appeared on Wiley's single "Never Be Your Woman", which also peaked within the chart's top ten. In 2012, she received the Brit Awards' Critics' Choice Award.
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Humza Yousaf
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Humza Haroon Yousaf is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from March 2023 to May 2024. He served under his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon as justice secretary from 2018 to 2021 and then as health secretary from 2021 to 2023. He has been Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Pollok since 2016, having previously been a regional MSP for Glasgow from 2011 to 2016.
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Steven Moffat
- Occupations
- executive producerteacherscience fiction writerfilm directorshowrunner
- Biography
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Steven William Moffat is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television series Doctor Who (2010–2017), and for co-creating and co-writing the BBC crime drama television series Sherlock (2010–2017). In the 2015 Birthday Honours, Moffat was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama.
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Nikki Cross
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Nicola Glencross is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Nikki Cross, and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction.
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William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied in 1834-1841
- Occupations
- physicistuniversity teachermathematicianengineerpolitician
- Biography
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William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, was a British mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer. Born in Belfast, he was for 53 years the professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, where he undertook significant research on the mathematical analysis of electricity, was instrumental in the formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and contributed significantly to unifying physics, which was then in its infancy of development as an emerging academic discipline. He received the Royal Society's Copley Medal in 1883 and served as its president from 1890 to 1895. In 1892 he became the first scientist to be elevated to the House of Lords.
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Armando Iannucci
- Occupations
- television directortelevision producerfilm producerfilm directorlibrettist
- Biography
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Armando Giovanni Iannucci CBE is a Scottish satirist, writer, director, producer and performer.
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Mark Millar
- Occupations
- comics writerscreenwriter
- Biography
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Mark Millar MBE is a Scottish comic book writer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series The Authority, published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written extensively for Marvel Comics, including runs on The Ultimates, which has been called "the comic book of the decade" by Time magazine and described as a major inspiration for the 2012 film The Avengers by its co-story creator Zak Penn, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Avengers for Marvel's Ultimate imprint, as well as Marvel Knights Spider-Man and Wolverine. In 2006, Millar wrote the Civil War mini-series that served as the centrepiece for the eponymous company-wide crossover storyline and later inspired the Marvel Studios film Captain America: Civil War. The "Old Man Logan" storyline, published as part of Millar's run on Wolverine, served as the inspiration for the 2017 film Logan.
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Andrew Neil
- Occupations
- business executivebroadcasterjournalisteditor
- Biography
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Andrew Ferguson Neil FRSA is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster. He has presented various political programmes on the BBC and on Channel 4. Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Neil attended Paisley Grammar School, before studying at the University of Glasgow. He entered journalism in 1973 as a correspondent for The Economist.
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Maxim Katz
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- 2016-2017 studied urbanism
- Occupations
- YouTuberpoker playertelevision produceractivistWikipedian
- Biography
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Maxim Yevgenyevich Katz is a Russian political opposition figure, urban planning activist, election campaign strategist, and popular YouTuber hosting his own daily political show.
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Susan Calman
- Occupations
- television presenterstand-up comedianactorcomedian
- Biography
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Susan Grace Calman is a Scottish comedian, television presenter and writer.
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Cotton Mather
- Occupations
- theologianwriterhistorianChristian ministerpamphleteer
- Biography
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Cotton Mather FRS was a Puritan clergyman and author in colonial New England, who wrote extensively on theological, historical, and scientific subjects. After being educated at Harvard College, he joined his father Increase as minister of the Congregationalist Old North Meeting House in Boston, then part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he preached for the rest of his life. He has been referred to as the "first American Evangelical".
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Jocelyn Bell Burnell
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied in 1965
- Occupations
- astrophysicistastronomerphysicist
- Biography
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Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell is a Northern Irish physicist who, while conducting research for her doctorate, discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967. This discovery later earned the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974, but she was not among the awardees.
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A. J. Cronin
- Occupations
- physician writerautobiographerplaywrightauthorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Archibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is The Citadel (1937), about a Scottish physician who serves in a Welsh mining village before achieving success in London, where he becomes disillusioned about the venality and incompetence of some doctors. Cronin knew both areas, as a medical inspector of mines and as a physician in Harley Street. The book exposed unfairness and malpractice in British medicine and helped to inspire the National Health Service.
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Bonar Law
- Occupations
- chess playerpolitician
- Biography
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Andrew Bonar Law was a British statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1922 to May 1923.
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Ruth Davidson
- Occupations
- journalistpolitician
- Biography
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Ruth Elizabeth Davidson, Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links, PC, is a Scottish politician. A member of the House of Lords since 2021, she was Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2011 to 2019 and Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament from 2020 to 2021. She served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow from 2011 to 2016 and for Edinburgh Central from 2016 to 2021. Davidson is co-host of Sky News podcast Electoral Dysfunction alongside Beth Rigby and Baroness Harman.
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R. D. Laing
- Occupations
- military personnelphysician writernon-fiction writermilitary physicianpsychoanalyst
- Biography
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Ronald David Laing, usually cited as R. D. Laing, was a British psychiatrist who wrote extensively on mental illness, particularly psychosis and schizophrenia.
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Nicholas Parsons
- Occupations
- comedianactor
- Biography
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Christopher Nicholas Parsons was an English actor, straight man and radio and television presenter. He was the long-running presenter of the comedy radio show Just a Minute and hosted the game show Sale of the Century during the 1970s and early 1980s.
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Neil Oliver
- Occupations
- television presenterwriterarchaeologisthistorianjournalist
- Biography
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Neil Oliver is a Scottish television presenter and author. He has presented several documentary series on archaeology and history, including A History of Scotland, Vikings and Coast. He is also an author of popular history books and historical fiction.
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Mhairi Black
- Occupations
- television actorpolitician
- Biography
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Mhairi Black is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the House of Commons from 2022 to 2024, and as a Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire South from 2015 to 2024.
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Liam Fox
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied in 1983
- Occupations
- politicianphysician
- Biography
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Sir Liam Fox is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for International Trade from 2016 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Defence from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Somerset, formerly Woodspring, from 1992 to 2024.
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Vince Cable
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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Sir John Vincent Cable is a British politician who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2017 to 2019. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019. He also served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade from 2010 to 2015.
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James George Frazer
- Occupations
- folkloristethnologisthistoriantheologianclassical scholar
- Biography
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Sir James George Frazer OM FRS FRSE FBA was a Scottish social anthropologist and folklorist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion.
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William Ramsay
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied in 1868-1871
- Occupations
- historianprofessorarchaeologistchemist
- Biography
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Sir William Ramsay KCB FRS FRSE was a Scottish chemist who discovered the noble gases and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air" along with his collaborator, John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics that same year for their discovery of argon. After the two men identified argon, Ramsay investigated other atmospheric gases. His work in isolating argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon led to the development of a new section of the periodic table.
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Charles Kennedy
- Occupations
- journalistpolitician
- Biography
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Charles Peter Kennedy was a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006, and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ross, Skye and Lochaber from 1983 to 2015.
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Regina Ip
- Occupations
- Hong Kong civil servantpolitician
- Biography
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Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee GBM GBS JP is a politician in Hong Kong. She is currently the Convenor of the Executive Council (ExCo) as well as the founder and current chairperson of the New People's Party. Ip served as a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) from 2008 to 2025, representing Hong Kong Island and Hong Kong Island West. She was formerly a prominent government official of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and was the first woman to be appointed the Secretary for Security to head the disciplinary service. She is also the founder and Chairwoman of Savantas Policy Institute, a think-tank in Hong Kong.
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Masataka Taketsuru
- Occupations
- engineerbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Masataka Taketsuru was a Japanese chemist and businessman who helped establish whisky production in Japan and founded Nikka Whisky Distilling.
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Aamer Anwar
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Aamer Anwar is a British political activist and lawyer of Pakistani origin. He was an active participant in the Stop the War Coalition, and campaigned against the 31st G8 summit at Gleneagles. He has been a longstanding critic of the Dungavel Detention Centre for failed asylum seekers, and is a trustee of the Time for Inclusive Education charity for LGBT-inclusive education in Scottish schools.
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Henry Campbell-Bannerman
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also was Secretary of State for War twice, in the cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery. He was the first First Lord of the Treasury to be officially called the "Prime Minister", the term only coming into official usage five days after he took office. He remains the only person to date to hold the positions of Prime Minister and Father of the House at the same time, and the last Liberal leader to gain a UK parliamentary majority.
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William Boyd
- Occupations
- authorscreenwriterdirectorwriternovelist
- Biography
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William Andrew Murray Boyd CBE FRSL is a British novelist, short story writer screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his novels, which include A Good Man in Africa (1981), Any Human Heart (2002), and Restless (2006), many of which have received critical acclaim and literary awards. Boyd has also written screenplays for film and television, including Chaplin (1992), and directed the World War I drama The Trench (1999). His work is characterised by its narrative vitality and range, earning him numerous accolades including the Whitbread First Novel Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Costa Book Award. A number of his works are what he describes as "whole-life" novels which follow a protagonist through the highs and lows of a varied and often remarkable life. He regularly fuses fact with fiction and his lead characters encounter well-known historical figures. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 for services to literature. John Self, writing for The Booker Prizes, described Boyd’s work as “vigorous, entertaining novels” produced by an “exceptionally fertile imagination,” and praised his fiction as “fully committed to his stories and characters.”
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John Buchan
- Occupations
- journalistbarristerdiplomatnovelistpolitician
- Biography
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John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian, British Army officer, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
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James Boswell
- Occupations
- writerlawyerbiographerdiarist
- Biography
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James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck, was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, Life of Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language. A great mass of Boswell's diaries, letters, and private papers were recovered from the 1920s to the 1950s, and their publication by Yale University has transformed his reputation.
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Donald Ewen Cameron
- Occupations
- psychiatrist
- Biography
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Donald Ewen Cameron was a Scottish-born psychiatrist. He is largely known today for his central role in unethical medical experiments, and development of psychological and medical torture techniques for the Central Intelligence Agency. He served as president of the American Psychiatric Association (1952–1953), Canadian Psychiatric Association (1958–1959), American Psychopathological Association (1963), Society of Biological Psychiatry (1965) and the World Psychiatric Association (1961–1966).
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Katherine Grainger
- Occupations
- rower
- Biography
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Dame Katherine Jane Grainger is a Scottish athlete. She is a 2012 Summer Olympics gold medallist, four-time Olympic silver medallist and six-time World Champion for Great Britain. She served as Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University between 2015 and 2020 and is currently Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.
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Hardeep Singh Kohli
- Occupations
- entertainertelevision presenter
- Biography
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Hardeep Singh Kohli is a British presenter of Indian-Punjabi descent, born in London & moved to Glasgow when he was 4 years old. He is known as a comedian, writer and director who has appeared on various radio and television programmes. He was a finalist on Celebrity MasterChef in 2006 and a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
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Shereen Nanjiani
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Shereen Nanjiani is a Scottish radio presenter.
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Lloyd Cole
- Occupations
- singercomposersinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Lloyd Cole is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was lead vocalist of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989 and subsequently worked solo.
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Anas Sarwar
- Occupations
- dentistpolitician
- Biography
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Anas Sarwar is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland since 2021. He has been a regional member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow since 2016, having been the member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Central from 2010 to 2015.
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Michaela Tabb
- Occupations
- snooker refereepool player
- Biography
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Michaela Tabb is a Scottish snooker and pool referee. She established significant milestones for female officials in professional cue sports, beginning in pool, where she officiated at top tournaments such as the WPA World Nine-ball Championship and the Mosconi Cup. She qualified in 2001 to referee on the World Snooker Tour and was the sport's highest profile female referee for the next 14 years. She became the first woman to officiate at a professional ranking snooker tournament at the 2002 Welsh Open, and the first woman to referee a ranking tournament final at the 2007 Welsh Open. She was the first woman to referee the World Snooker Championship final, which she did twice, in 2009 and 2012. She remained the only woman to referee the World final until Desislava Bozhilova did so in the 2025 event.
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Peter Murrell
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Peter Tierney Murrell is a Scottish former political worker who served as Chief Executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2001 to 2023. He is married to former party leader and First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, since 2010, they separated in January 2025.
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Joseph Black
- Occupations
- university teacherchemistphysicist
- Biography
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Joseph Black was a Scottish physicist and chemist, known for his discoveries of magnesium, latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was professor of anatomy and chemistry at the University of Glasgow for 10 years from 1756, and then professor of medicine and chemistry at the University of Edinburgh from 1766, teaching and lecturing there for more than 30 years.
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Menzies Campbell
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- In 1962 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- sprinterlawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem, was a Scottish politician, advocate and athlete. A senior figure in the Liberal Democrats, he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Fife from 1987 to 2015 and led the party from 2006 to 2007. He held prominent frontbench roles in foreign affairs and defence, and was deputy leader under Charles Kennedy.
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Faia Younan
- Occupations
- chanteuse
- Biography
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Faia Younan is a Syrian-Assyrian singer, considered the first Middle Eastern artist ever to crowdfund her debut.
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Ron Donachie
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Ronald Eaglesham Porter, known professionally as Ron Donachie, is a Scottish character actor. He has appeared in supporting roles in films The Jungle Book (1994), Titanic, and television series Game of Thrones, in which he recurred as Ser Rodrik Cassel. He is however perhaps best known for portraying DI John Rebus in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of Sir Ian Rankin's Rebus detective novels, a role he reprised for the stage play Rebus: Long Shadows.
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Dawda Kairaba Jawara
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied veterinary medicine
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara GCMG was a Gambian politician who served as prime minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as the first President of The Gambia from 1970 to 1994, when he was overthrown by Yahya Jammeh.
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Donald Dewar
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Donald Campbell Dewar was a Scottish statesman and politician who served as the inaugural first minister of Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2000 and leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 1998 until his death in 2000. He was widely regarded as the "Father of the Nation" during his tenure as first minister, and the "Architect of Devolution" whilst serving as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997 to 1999. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Anniesland (formerly Glasgow Garscadden) from 1978 to 2000. Dewar was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000.
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Colin MacLaurin
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied in 1709-1713
- Occupations
- mathematicianastronomerphysicist
- Biography
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Colin Maclaurin, FRS was a Scottish mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra. He is also known for being a child prodigy and holding the record for being the youngest professor. The Maclaurin series, a special case of the Taylor series, is named after him.
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Cosmo Gordon Lang
- Occupations
- politicianAnglican priest
- Biography
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William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth, GCVO, GCStJ, PC was a Scottish Anglican clergyman who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His elevation to Archbishop of York, within 18 years of his ordination, was the most rapid in modern Church of England history. As Archbishop of Canterbury during the abdication crisis of 1936, he took a strong moral stance, his comments in a subsequent broadcast being widely condemned as uncharitable towards the departed king.
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Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli
- Occupations
- autobiographerteacheranti-apartheid activistpolitician
- Biography
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Albert John Luthuli was a South African anti-apartheid activist, traditional leader, and politician who served as the President-General of the African National Congress from 1952 until his murder in 1967.
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Hugh Grant
- Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
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Hugh Grant is a Scottish business executive, who was the last CEO of Monsanto until its acquisition by Bayer.
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Fazle Hasan Abed
- Occupations
- chartered accountantcharity workersocial worker
- Biography
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Sir Fazle Hasan Abed KCMG was the founder of BRAC, one of the world's largest non-governmental organizations.
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Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Occupations
- botanical collectorscientific collectorpteridologistwritersurgeon
- Biography
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Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For 20 years he served as director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, succeeding his father, William Jackson Hooker, and was awarded the highest honours of British science.
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Tobias Smollett
- Occupations
- physician writerjournalistwritersurgeontranslator
- Biography
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Tobias George Smollett was a Scottish writer and surgeon. He was best known for writing picaresque novels such as The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748), The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751) and The Expedition of Humphry Clinker (1771), which influenced later generations of British novelists, including Charles Dickens. His novels were liberally altered by contemporary printers; an authoritative edition of each was edited by Dr O. M. Brack Jr and others.
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Fraser Nelson
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Fraser Andrew Nelson is a British political journalist and columnist for the Times. He was editor of The Spectator magazine from 2009 to 2024.
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Ken McCallum
- Occupations
- civil servantintelligence officer
- Biography
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Sir Kenneth Douglas McCallum is a British intelligence officer who has been serving as the director general of MI5 since 2020.
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John Niven
- Occupations
- writerguitaristediting staffscreenwriter
- Biography
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John Niven is a Scottish author and screenwriter. His books include Kill Your Friends, The Amateurs, The Second Coming and O Brother.
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Francis Hutcheson
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied in 1710-1716
- Occupations
- university teachertheologianwriterphilosophereconomist
- Biography
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Francis Hutcheson was an Irish philosopher of Scottish descent, widely regarded as one of the key figures of the early Scottish Enlightenment. He served as Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow and was a major advocate of moral sense theory, which holds that humans possess an innate sense that guides moral judgments. Hutcheson is best known for his ethical writings, in which he defends benevolence as the primary source of moral virtue and anticipates later utilitarian theories with his formulation of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number".
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Andrew Watson
- Occupations
- mathematicianengineerphysicistassociation football player
- Biography
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Andrew Watson was a Scottish footballer who is widely considered to be the first black person to play association football at international level. He played three matches for Scotland between 1881 and 1882. Arthur Wharton was previously commonly thought to be the first black player, as he was the first black professional footballer to play in the Football League, but Watson's career predated him by over a decade. There is evidence that Watson was paid professionally when at Bootle in 1887, two years prior to Wharton becoming a professional with Rotherham Town; however, the Merseyside club did not play in the Football League at the time Watson played there.
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Takamine Jōkichi
- Occupations
- chemist
- Biography
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Takamine Jōkichi was a Japanese chemist. He is known for being the first to isolate adrenaline in 1901.
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Ewen MacAskill
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Ewen MacAskill is a Scottish journalist. He worked for 22 years on The Guardian, ending his career in September 2018 as the newspaper's defence and intelligence correspondent. MacAskill was involved in preparing the publication disclosures from Edward Snowden of the activities of the American National Security Agency (NSA).
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Denise Mina
- Occupations
- playwrightnovelistcomics writeruniversity teachercriminologist
- Biography
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Denise Mina is a Scottish writer active since 1996. Her debut novel Garnethill was a bestseller and won the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey Award for best debut. It was followed by Exile and Resolution, completing a trilogy of novels featuring Maureen O’Donnell, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
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David MacMillan
- Occupations
- university teacherchemist
- Biography
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Sir David William Cross MacMillan is a Scottish chemist and the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, where he was also the chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2010 to 2015. He shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Benjamin List "for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis". MacMillan used his share of the $1.14 million prize to establish the May and Billy MacMillan Foundation.
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Robert Caldwell
- Occupations
- DravidologistmissionaryIndologist
- Biography
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Robert Caldwell was a British missionary and linguist.
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William Cullen
- Occupations
- chemistpsychiatristuniversity teacherfarmersurgeon
- Biography
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William Cullen FRS FRSE FRCPE was a Scottish physician, chemist and agriculturalist from Hamilton, Scotland, who also served as a professor at the Edinburgh Medical School. Cullen was a central figure in the Scottish Enlightenment: He was David Hume's physician, and was friends with Joseph Black, Henry Home, Adam Ferguson, John Millar, and Adam Smith, among others.
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Scott Manley
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- 1990-1995 graduated with Master of Science in computational physics
- Occupations
- astronomerYouTuberprogrammerscience communicator
- Biography
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Scott Park Manley is a Scottish-American science communication YouTuber, gamer, astrophysicist, and programmer. On his YouTube channel, he makes videos discussing space-related topics and news, mainly concerning up-to-date rocket science developments. He also plays space-themed video games, most notably Kerbal Space Program, while using his physics background to teach science concepts.
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James McCune Smith
- Occupations
- physicianwriterpharmacist
- Biography
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James McCune Smith was an American physician, apothecary, abolitionist and author. He was the first African American to earn a medical degree. His M.D. was awarded by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland, where a building has been dedicated to him. After his return to the United States, he also became the first African American to run a pharmacy in the nation.
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Alan Sked
- Occupations
- historianpolitician
- Biography
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Alan Sked FRHistS is a Scottish Eurosceptic academic. He founded the Anti-Federalist League (in order to oppose the Maastricht Treaty) and its successor the UK Independence Party (UKIP), he later founded New Deal and then Prosper UK in opposition of UKIP. He is Professor Emeritus of International History at the London School of Economics and has stood as a candidate in several parliamentary elections.
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James Wilson
- Occupations
- judgepolitician
- Biography
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James Wilson was a Scottish American Founding Father, legal scholar, jurist, and statesman who served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1789 to 1798. Wilson was elected twice to the Continental Congress, and was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. In 1787 he was a major participant in drafting the U.S. Constitution, and became one of only six people to sign both documents. A leading legal theorist, he was one of the first four Associate Justices appointed to the Supreme Court by George Washington.
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Gail Honeyman
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Gail Honeyman is a Scottish writer whose debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, won the 2017 Costa First Novel Award.
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Thomas Campbell
- Occupations
- writermusicologistpoetjournalist
- Biography
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Thomas Campbell was a Scottish poet. He was a founder and the first President of the Clarence Club and a co-founder of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland; he was also one of the initiators of a plan to found what became University College London. In 1799 he wrote Pleasures of Hope, a traditional 18th-century didactic poem in heroic couplets. He also produced several patriotic war songs— "Ye Mariners of England", "The Soldier's Dream", "Hohenlinden" and, in 1801, The Battle of the Baltic, but was no less at home in delicate lyrics such as "At Love's Beginning".
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James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce
- Occupations
- barristeruniversity teacherhistoriandiplomatwriter
- Biography
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James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce, OM, GCVO, PC, FRS, FBA, was a British academic, jurist, historian, and Liberal politician. According to Keith Robbins, he was a widely traveled authority on law, government, and history whose expertise led to high political offices culminating with his successful role as ambassador to the United States, 1907–13. In that era, he represented the interests of the vast British Empire to the United States. His intellectual influence was greatest in The American Commonwealth (1888), an in-depth study of American politics that shaped the understanding of America in Britain and in the United States as well. In 1895, he chaired the Royal Commission on Secondary Education.
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Derek Mackay
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Derek Mackay is a former Scottish politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work from 2016 to 2020. A former member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Renfrewshire North and West from 2011 to 2021. Mackay served as a government minister from 2011 to 2020 under the administrations of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.
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Lauri Love
- Occupations
- security hacker
- Biography
-
Lauri Love is a British activist who was previously charged by the United States for his alleged activities with the hacker collective Anonymous. Love's case has been cited as precedent in the Julian Assange extradition proceedings.
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Jenny Gilruth
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jennifer Madeleine Gilruth is a Scottish politician who has served as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Mid Fife and Glenrothes since 2016.
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Sir Thomas Munro, 1st Baronet
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Major-General Sir Thomas Munro, 1st Baronet KCB was a Scottish soldier and British colonial administrator. He served as an East India Company Army officer and statesman, in addition to also being the governor of Madras Presidency.
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Kevin Sneader
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- In 1988 studied law
- Occupations
- business consultantbusiness executive
- Biography
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Kevin Sneader is a Canadian and British management consultant. He was McKinsey & Company's global managing partner from July 2018 to July 2021. He failed to secure a second term in that position in early 2021, becoming the first global managing partner since 1976 not to win such an election. He was hired by Goldman Sachs as co-president for the Asia-Pacific region in September 2021.
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John Toland
- Occupations
- theologianphilosopherwriter
- Biography
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John Toland was an Irish rationalist philosopher and freethinker, and occasional satirist, who wrote numerous books and pamphlets on political philosophy and philosophy of religion, which are early expressions of the philosophy of the Age of Enlightenment. Born in Ireland, he was educated at the universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leiden and Oxford and was influenced by the philosophy of John Locke.
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Charles Mackay
- Occupations
- poetwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Charles Mackay was a Scottish poet, journalist, author, anthologist, novelist, and songwriter, remembered mainly for his book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.
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Gus O'Donnell, Baron O'Donnell
- Occupations
- diplomateconomist
- Biography
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Augustine Thomas O'Donnell, Baron O'Donnell, GCB, FBA, FAcSS is a former British senior civil servant and economist, who between 2005 and 2011 (under three Prime Ministers) served as the Cabinet Secretary, the highest official in the British Civil Service.
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Shona Robison
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Shona McRory Robison is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she previously served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 2023 to 2024. Robison has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dundee City East since 2003 and was an additional member for the North East Scotland region from 1999 to 2003.
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John Grierson
- Occupations
- screenwriterdirectorfilm directorfilm editorfilm producer
- Biography
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John Grierson CBE was a Scottish filmmaker, film theorist, and critic, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. In 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" in a review of Robert J. Flaherty's Moana. In 1939, Grierson established the all-time Canadian film institutional production and distribution company The National Film Board of Canada controlled by the Government of Canada.
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James McGill
- Occupations
- merchantbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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James McGill was a Scottish-born businessman, politician, slaveholder, and philanthropist best known for being the founder of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Montreal West and appointed to the Executive Council of Lower Canada in 1792. He was an honorary lieutenant colonel of the 1st Battalion, Montreal Militia, a predecessor unit of The Canadian Grenadier Guards. He was also a prominent member of the Château Clique and one of the original founding members of the Beaver Club. His summer home stood within the Golden Square Mile.
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Catherine Calderwood
- Occupations
- gynecologist
- Biography
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Catherine Jane Calderwood is a Scottish consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, who has served as the National Clinical Director for Sustainable Delivery at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital since 2021. She previously served as the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland from 2015 to 2020, having advised the Scottish Government's initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.
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Robert Stirling
- Occupations
- engineerinventorcleric
- Biography
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Robert Stirling was a Scottish clergyman and engineer. He invented the Stirling engine and was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Kazimierz Kuratowski
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied in 1913-1914
- Occupations
- mathematicianphilosopheruniversity teachertopologist
- Biography
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Kazimierz Kuratowski was a Polish mathematician and logician. He was one of the leading representatives of the Warsaw School of Mathematics. He worked as a professor at the University of Warsaw and at the Mathematical Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IM PAN). Between 1946 and 1953, he served as President of the Polish Mathematical Society.
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William McIlvanney
- Occupations
- poetwriterjournalist
- Biography
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William Angus McIlvanney was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, and poet. He was known as Gus by friends and acquaintances. McIlvanney was a champion of gritty yet poetic literature; his works Laidlaw, The Papers of Tony Veitch, and Walking Wounded are all known for their portrayal of Glasgow in the 1970s. He is regarded as "the father of Tartan Noir" and as Scotland's Camus.
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Ken MacLeod
- Occupations
- science fiction writerbloggerwriter
- Biography
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Kenneth Macrae MacLeod is a Scottish science fiction writer. His novels The Sky Road and The Night Sessions won the BSFA Award. MacLeod's novels have been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke, Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Campbell Memorial awards for best novel on multiple occasions. In 2024 MacLeod was one of the Guests of Honour at the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow.
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John Maclean
- Occupations
- school teacherpolitician
- Biography
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John Maclean was a Scottish schoolteacher and revolutionary socialist of the Red Clydeside era. He was notable for his outspoken opposition to World War I, which caused his arrest under the Defence of the Realm Act and loss of his teaching post, after which he became a full-time Marxist lecturer and organiser. In April 1918 he was arrested for sedition, and his 75-minute speech from the dock became a celebrated text for Scottish left-wingers. He was sentenced to five years' penal servitude, but was released after the November armistice.
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David Douglas
- Occupations
- botanical collectorexplorergardenerornithologistbotanist
- Biography
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David Douglas was a Scottish botanist, best known as the namesake of the Douglas fir. He worked as a gardener, and explored the Scottish Highlands, North America and Hawaii, where he died. The standard author abbreviation Douglas is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.
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John Nicolson
- Occupations
- journalistpolitician
- Biography
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John MacKenzie Nicolson is a Scottish journalist, broadcaster and Scottish National Party (SNP) politician.
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Paul Sweeney
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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Paul John Sweeney FIES VR is a Scottish politician. A member of the Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party, he currently serves as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region in the 6th Scottish Parliament, elected in May 2021. He previously served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow North East from 2017 to 2019.
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Alberto Costa
- Occupations
- solicitorlawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Alberto Castrenze Costa is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Leicestershire since 2015. He served as Shadow Solicitor General from July to November 2024.
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William Hunter
- Enrolled in the University of Glasgow
- Studied theology
- Occupations
- gynecologistphysiologistanatomistsurgeon
- Biography
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William Hunter FRS was a Scottish anatomist and physician. He was a leading teacher of anatomy, and the outstanding obstetrician of his day. His guidance and training of his equally famous brother, John Hunter, was also of great importance.
