Biography of Norman Davidson

The Davidson Building is named for (James) Norman Davidson (1911-1972) who held the Gardiner Chair of Biochemistry from 1947 to 1972.

Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Davidson obtained a first class degree in Chemistry and graduated MB ChB in 1937. He graduated MD in 1939 and DSc in 1945 and held positions in St Andrews, Aberdeen and London before his appointment to the Glasgow chair. He was also Carnegie Research Fellow in Biochemistry at the world famous Kaiser Wilhelm Institut fur Zellphysiologie, Berlin-Dahlem in 1937-1938.

Davidson was a member of many bodies including the Board of Management of Glasgow Royal Infirmary (from 1948 until 1968) and he was President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1958-1959. He published widely including The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids, the ninth edition of which was published in 1981.

Davidson's widow, Dr Morag Davidson, endowed a Prize in Biochemistry in his memory and in 1999 the University named the building which houses the Biochemistry Department in his honour. His daughter Rona became the first woman to be appointed to an established chair at the University when she became Professor of Dermatology in 1978.

Summary

Norman Davidson
Biochemist
Born 5 March 1911.
Died 11 September 1972.
University Link: Professor
Occupation categories: biochemists
NNAF Reference: GB/NNAF/P7519
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Record last updated: 12th Aug 2008

University Connections

University Roles

• Professor

Awards

• Norman Davidson Memorial Prize

Academic Posts

Professorships:

• Biochemistry (Gardiner Chair)

Buildings

• Davidson Building

Images

Norman Davidson