Alexander Harvey (physicist)

Alexander Harvey
CPhys FInstP
Portrait of Principal Alexander Harvey by Evan Charlton, c. 1970s
Born(1904-09-21)21 September 1904
Tyneside, England
Died16 October 1987(1987-10-16) (aged 83)
Ely Hospital, Cardiff, Wales
Resting place
Thornhill Cemetery
Education
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics
Workplaces

Alexander Harvey (21 September 1904 – 16 October 1987) was an English physicist and educator, best known for his 22-year tenure as principal of University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (a predecessor of the present day Cardiff University) from 1946 to 1968.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Harvey was born on 21 September 1904 in Tyneside, England.[4] His father, Andrew Harvey, was originally from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. He was educated at Gateshead Grammar School and Armstrong College, Durham University (now Newcastle University).[1] He earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics and later a Doctor of Philosophy degree for his work on molecular spectra.[5]

Career

Harvey was a Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Physics at University of California, Berkeley from 1929 to 1931.[6][5] Returning to England, he worked as a scientific assistant at Adam Hilger, Ltd in London from 1931 to 1933 before becoming an assistant lecturer at University of Manchester from 1933 to 1934. For the next 8 years he headed the Physics department of Wigan Mining and Technical College. He became principal of Scunthorpe Technical School in 1942 and served in this post until 1946.[1]

Harvey served as principal of Cardiff Technical College from 1946 to 1968. His tenure saw the institution transitioning from a technical college to a university, renaming to Welsh College of Advanced Technology in 1966 and eventually University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology in 1968.[4] The college was also expanded during this time, marked by the construction of the Redwood Building in Cathays Park in 1961.[7]

Publications

  • Bryson, Thomas; Harvey, Alexander (1938). Science For Miners.
  • Harvey, Alexander (1973) [1966]. "One Hundred Years of Technical Education in Cardiff". In Williams, Stewart (ed.). Glamorgan Historian. Vol. 9. pp. 173–190.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Harvey, Alexander, (21 Sept. 1904–16 Oct. 1987)". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ↑ "Papers of Alexander Harvey on technical education in Cardiff, 1928-1968 - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Poppy's summer placement: gaining hands-on experience in research". Cardiff University. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Ex-UWIST head dies at 83". South Wales Echo. 21 October 1987. p. 3. Full access available to users of The Wikipedia Library.
  5. 1 2 Williams, Stewart, ed. (1973). "New Contributors". Glamorgan Historian. Vol. 9. pp. ix–x.
  6. ↑ "University and Educational Intelligence". Nature. 123 (3108): 816–817. 25 May 1929. doi:10.1038/123816b0. ISSN 0028-0836.
  7. ↑ Harvey, A. (8 July 1961). "The Welsh College of Advanced Technology". Nature. 191 (4784): 127–129. doi:10.1038/191127b0. ISSN 0028-0836.
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