Sir Norman Alexander | |
|---|---|
| Vice-Chancellor ofAhmadu Bello University | |
| In office 1961–1966 | |
| Professor of Physics,University College, Ibadan | |
| In office 1952–1960 | |
| Professor of Physics,University of Malaya | |
| In office 1949–1952 | |
| Professor of Physics,Raffles College | |
| In office 1936–1949 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Norman Stanley Alexander (1907-10-07)7 October 1907 Te Awamutu, New Zealand |
| Died | 26 March 1997(1997-03-26) (aged 89) |
Sir Norman Stanley Alexander (7 October 1907 – 26 March 1997) was aNew Zealand physicist instrumental in the establishment of many Commonwealth universities, includingAhmadu Bello University inNigeria, and the Universities of the West Indies, the South Pacific and Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.[1] He was knighted in 1966.
Alexander was born inTe Awamutu,New Zealand. Alexander was one of eight children of farmers whose ancestors were immigrants from theUnited Kingdom andDenmark.[1]
Alexander took his early education atHamilton High School before moving to theUniversity of Auckland to study physics, graduating with aBachelor of Science withfirst class honours in 1927.[1] In 1930, Alexander achieved a two-year scholarship toTrinity College, Cambridge to study physics at theCavendish Laboratory withErnest Rutherford.[1]
He was imprisoned inChangi 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 atSime Road Internment Camp.
Alexander was married to notedmeteorologistFrances Elizabeth Somerville Alexandernée Caldwell and have three children William (1937), Mary (1939) and Bernice (1941).[3]
Alexander was promoted toCommander of the Order of the British Empire in the1959 Birthday Honours,[4] and wasknighted in March 1966.[5]
