Norman Alexander
{{Short description|New Zealand physicist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Professor
| name = Sir Norman Alexander
| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}
| image =
| alt =
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| office = Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University
| term_start = 1961
| term_end = 1966
| office2 = Professor of Physics, University College, Ibadan
| term_start2 = 1952
| term_end2 = 1960
| office3 = Professor of Physics, University of Malaya
| term_start3 = 1949
| term_end3 = 1952
| office4 = Professor of Physics, Raffles College
| term_start4 = 1936
| term_end4 = 1949
| birth_name = Norman Stanley Alexander
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|10|07|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Te Awamutu, New Zealand
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|03|26|1907|10|07|df=yes}}
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Sir Norman Stanley Alexander (7 October 1907 – 26 March 1997) was a New Zealand physicist instrumental in the establishment of many Commonwealth universities, including Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, and the Universities of the West Indies, the South Pacific and Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituarysir-norman-alexander-1265280.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituarysir-norman-alexander-1265280.html |archive-date=21 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Obituary: Sir Norman Alexander |first=Mary |last=Harris |date=4 April 1997 |work=The Independent}} He was knighted in 1966.
Early life
Alexander was born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand. Alexander was one of eight children of farmers whose ancestors were immigrants from the United Kingdom and Denmark.
Alexander took his early education at Hamilton High School before moving to the University of Auckland to study physics, graduating with a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in 1927. In 1930, Alexander achieved a two-year scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge to study physics at the Cavendish Laboratory with Ernest Rutherford.
World War II
He was imprisoned in Changi Prison in 1942, and word made its way to New Zealand that he had died, when he was in fact alive. Using his academic knowledge, Alexander helped to build a salt evaporation plant at Changi and a small industrial plant that fermented surgical spirit and other products for the prison hospital. After his release he eventually headed a New Zealand commission of investigation into abuses at Sime Road Internment Camp.
Career summary
- Physics lecturer at Auckland University College
- 1930 – won the Commonwealth scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge.
- 1936–49 Professor of Physics, Raffles College, Singapore.
- 1949–52 Dean of Science, University of Malaya
- 1952–58 Professor of Physics and Vice-president, University College, Ibadan, Nigeria
- 1958–60 Professor of Engineering Physics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
- 1961–66 Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
- 1966 University of the West Indies
- 1966–68 Vice Chancellor University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay, Fiji
- 1970 – Advisor: UK Ministry of Overseas Development, Inter-University Council for Higher Education Overseas, London University School of Oriental and African Studies{{cite book |title=The New Zealand Roll of Honour 1945–1995 |editor-first=Alister |editor-last=Taylor |editor-link= Alister Taylor |location=Auckland, NZ |publisher=Roll of Honour Publications |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-90857-858-0}}
Personal life
Alexander was married to noted meteorologist Frances Elizabeth Somerville Alexander née Caldwell and have three children William (1937), Mary (1939) and Bernice (1941).{{cite book|author=Wayne Orchiston|title=Exploring the History of New Zealand Astronomy: Trials, Tribulations, Telescopes and Transits|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PBMpCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA630|access-date=19 November 2018|date=8 December 2015|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-319-22566-1|page=630}}
Awards and honours
Alexander was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1959 Birthday Honours,{{London Gazette |issue=41727 |date=5 June 1959 |page=3720 |supp=y}} and was knighted in March 1966.{{London Gazette |issue=43928 |date=18 March 1966 |page=3065 |nolink=yes}}
References
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Category:Academic staff of the University of New Zealand
Category:University of New Zealand alumni
Category:People from Te Awamutu
Category:New Zealand expatriates in England
Category:New Zealand expatriates in British Malaya
Category:Expatriate academics in Malaysia
Category:New Zealand expatriates in Nigeria
Category:New Zealand expatriates in Fiji