James Cameron Smail

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Dr James Cameron Smail FRSE FRSGS PRSSA CBE LLD[1] (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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] 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 . He was a regular attender of meetings.[5]

He retired in 1950. In 1951 he was made a member of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland.[6] He died on 26 April 1970.

Family[]

In 1908 he married Louisa Florence Davidson. His daughter was Elizabeth Margaret Cameron Smail.[1]

Artistic recognition[]

His portrait by Mary Remington is held at Heriot-Watt University.[7]

Publications[]

See[8]

  • 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[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Person Page". thepeerage.com. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  2. ^ Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1886-7
  3. ^ Children of the Rising, by Joe Duffy
  4. ^ "Heriot-Watt College". Heriot-Watt University. 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  5. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
  6. ^ London Gazette 7 August 1951
  7. ^ "James Cameron Smail (1880–1970), OBE, Principal of the Heriot-Watt College - Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  8. ^ "James Watt and the Heriot-Watt College : an address delivered to the Watt Club at Edinburgh on 29th January 1949 /". worldcat.org. Retrieved 31 July 2017.


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