Alastair Graham facts for kids

Alastair Graham (born November 6, 1906 – died December 12, 2000) was a Scottish zoologist. He was also a university professor. He was very good at studying malacology, which is the scientific study of molluscs. Molluscs are soft-bodied animals like snails, slugs, and clams.

About Alastair Graham

Alastair Graham was born in Corstorphine, a part of Edinburgh, Scotland. He went to the Royal High School, Edinburgh. He was the top student when he finished school in 1924.

His University Studies

He then went to the University of Edinburgh. He first earned a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1927. After that, he decided to study zoology, which is the study of animals. He earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in zoology in 1929.

Starting His Career

After a short time doing research at the University of Edinburgh, he became a lecturer at the University of Sheffield. A lecturer is a university teacher. It was there that he became very interested in prosobranch gastropods. These are a specific group of snails that have gills in front of their hearts. This interest lasted his whole life.

Moving to London and Reading

After four years in Sheffield, he moved to Birkbeck College, London. There, he became a Reader, which is a senior academic position. In 1943, he became the Head of the Department. By 1947, he was made a Professor.

In 1952, he accepted a new job as the Chair of Zoology at the University of Reading. This meant he was the main professor in charge of the zoology department. While at Reading, he worked with Dr Vera Fretter. They wrote a very important book together called British prosobranch molluscs. It was published in 1962.

He also took on leadership roles at the university. He became the Dean of the Faculty, which is like a head of a group of departments. He also served two terms as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, a very senior position helping to run the whole university. He retired in 1972.

Leading Scientific Societies

Alastair Graham was also involved in important scientific groups. He was the president of the Malacological Society of London from 1954 to 1957. This society is for people who study molluscs. He also worked as the editor for their scientific papers from 1969 to 1985.

Awards and Recognition

Alastair Graham received many important awards for his scientific work.

• In 1944, he earned a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree from the University of London. This is a very high academic honor.
• He was given the Keith Medal by the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1951.
• In 1968, he received the Gold Medal from the Linnean Society of London.
• The Zoological Society of London awarded him the Frink Medal in 1975.
• In 1979, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very prestigious honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.

His Family Life

Alastair Graham was married twice. His first wife was Gwynneth Hayes, and they had two sons together. After she passed away, he married Elizabeth Andrews. He died in Berkshire, England, in the year 2000.