James Cameron Smail
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Dr James Cameron Smail FRSE FRSGS PRSSA CBE LLD{{cite web|url=http://www.thepeerage.com/p37191.htm|title=Person Page|website=thepeerage.com|accessdate=31 July 2017}} (1880-1970) was a Scottish university Principal. Heriot Watt University library is named the Cameron Smail Library in his honour. He wrote extensively on printing and the history of printing.
Life
He was born in 1886 the son of Adam Smail, a bookseller and stationer in Bruntsfield, living at 18 Spittal Street in Tollcross, Edinburgh.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1886-7 He was privately educated at Daniel Stewart's College in Edinburgh.
From 1902 until 1911 he was a school inspector in Ireland. In 1911 he appears to live at 31 Brighton Road in Rathmines on the outskirts of Dublin.Children of the Rising, by Joe Duffy From 1911 to 1928 he worked for London County Council.
In 1928 he became Principal of Heriot-Watt College and started a major expansion programme.{{cite web |title=Heriot-Watt College |publisher=Heriot-Watt University |date=2017 |url=https://www.hw.ac.uk/services/heritage-information-governance/history/edinburgh/heriot-watt-college.htm |accessdate=31 July 2017 }} In 1929 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir James Alfred Ewing, Richard Stanfield, Francis Gibson Baily and Alfred Archibald Boon. He was a regular attender of meetings.{{cite book |title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 |date=July 2006 |publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh |isbn=0-902-198-84-X |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf |access-date=30 July 2017 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf |url-status=dead }}
He retired in 1950. In 1951 he was made a member of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland.London Gazette 7 August 1951
He died on 26 April 1970.
Family
Artistic recognition
His portrait by Mary Remington is held at Heriot-Watt University.{{cite web|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/james-cameron-smail-18801970-obe-principal-of-the-heriot-watt-college-183827|title=James Cameron Smail (1880–1970), OBE, Principal of the Heriot-Watt College - Art UK|website=artuk.org|accessdate=31 July 2017}}
Publications
- Some Aspects of Education for the Printing Trade (1937)
- Technical Education (1946)
- Scottish Enterprise Printing (1947)
- James Watt and the Heriot Watt College (1949)
- Education and Training of Printers (1951)
- Printing in Scotland 1507-1947 (1963)
- The Phrenological Museum, Edinburgh (1963)
References
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Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Category:Academics of Heriot-Watt University
Category:Scottish non-fiction writers
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