 ANDERSON,
JOHN, F.R.S. professor of natural philosophy in the university of Glasgow,
and founder of the eminently useful institution, bearing his name, in that
city, was born in the parish of Roseneath in Dumbartonshire, in the year
1726. He was the eldest son of the reverend James Anderson, minister of
Roseneath, who was, in his turn, the eldest son of the reverend John
Anderson, preceptor to John Duke of Argyle, afterwards minister of the
gospel at Dumbarton, and whose memoir is given in the preceding article. The
subject of this memoir, having the misfortune to lose his father in early
life, was educated by his aunt Mrs Turner, widow of one of the ministers of
the High church of Stirling. While residing in this town, where he received
the rudiments of learning, he appeared as an officer in the burgher corps
raised in February, 1746, to defend it against the forces of the young
Chevalier. His conduct on this occasion was worthy of his distinguished
ancestor, from whose example he appears to have derived that attachment to
the principles of civil and religious liberty, which marked his character
through life. The carabine and other arms which he carried on the walls of
Stirling are preserved in the museum connected with his institution at
Glasgow. He received the more advanced part of his education at the college
of Glasgow, where, in 1756, he was appointed to be professor of oriental
languages, being then in the thirtieth year of his age.
It was not in this sphere that Mr Anderson
was destined to shine with greatest luster. His mind had a decided bent
towards the exact sciences, and to the illustration of the arts with which
they are connected. His translation, therefore, to the chair of natural
philosophy, which took place in 1769, was an event highly agreeable to him,
and also most fortunate for the world. While he took an early opportunity
after this event, to fulfil an important private duty, by re-paying his aunt
for the expenses of his education, he entered upon the business of his class
with an enthusiastic ardour of application, which we may safely pronouce to
have been without example in any Scottish university. Not contented with the
ordinary duty of delivering a course of lectures - though he performed that
duty in a manner alone sufficient to obtain distinction - he was
indefatigable in studying and exemplifying the application of science to
mechanical practice; visiting, for this purpose, the workshops of artisans
in the town, and receiving, in return for the scientific doctrine which he
had to communicate, a full equivalent of experimental knowledge. The most
estimable characteristic of professor Anderson, was a liberal and diffusive
benevolence in regard to the instruction of his race. Under the inspiration
of this feeling, which was in that age more rare, and therefore more
meritorious than it is at present, he instituted, in addition to his usual
class, which was strictly mathematical, one for the working classes, and
others whose pursuits did not enable them to conform to the prescribed
routine of academical study, illustrating his precepts by experiments, so as
to render it in the highest degree attractive. He continued to teach this anti-toga
class, as he called it, twice every week, during the session, to the end of
his life; and it would not be easy to estimate the aggregate of good which
he thus rendered to his fellow-creatures. As an instance of the liberal good
sense by which he was governed in his eminently useful scheme, it is related
that, a mechanic having complained to his assistant, that he had scarcely
time, after leaving his work, to change his dress before coming to the
class, and having suggested the propriety of the operatives being allowed to
attend without such change, Mr Anderson, being apprized of the wish so
expressed, at once acceded to it. His was a mind too strongly bent on mere
usefulness, to regard empty form. Yet, as a lecturer, he is allowed to have
himself exhibited a surpassing elegance of manner. His style was easy and
graceful, his command of language unlimited, and the skill and success with
which his manifold experiments were performed, could not be surpassed. He
excited the interest, and attracted the attention of his pupils, by the
numerous and appropriate anecdotes with which he illustrated and enlivened
his lectures. Enthusiastic in his profession, his whole ambition and
happiness consisted in making himself useful to mankind, by the
dissemination of useful knowledge; and nothing afforded him purer pleasure
than hearing that any of his pupils had distinguished themselves in the
world. The only distinct work which he published in connection with his
favourite science, was a valuable one, entitled, "Institutes of
Physics," which appeared in 1786, and went through five editions during
the next ten years.
At the commencement of those political
changes in France, which ended in such unhappy results, Mr Anderson, as
might have been predicated from his ardently liberal and enlightened
character, was among those who sympathized most warmly with the proceedings
of the emancipated people. Previous to that period, he had prosecuted a
taste for the military art, and invented a species of gun, the recoil of
which was stopped by the condensation of common air, within the body of the
carriage. Having in vain endeavoured to attract the attention of the British
government to this invention, he went to Paris, in 1791, carrying with him a
model, which he presented to the national Convention. The government party
in France at once perceived the benefit which would be derived from this
invention, and order Mr Anderson’s model to be hung up in their hall, with
the following inscription over it – "THE GIFT OF SCIENCE TO
LIBERTY." Whilst he was in France, he got a six-pounder made from his
model, with which he made numerous experiments in the neighbourhood of
Paris, at which the famous Paul Jones, amongst others, was present; and who
gave his decided approbation of the gun, as likely to prove highly useful in
landing troops from boats, or firing from the round tops or poops of ships
of war. Mr Anderson, at this period, took a keen interest in the
transactions which passed before his eyes. He was present when Louis XVI.
was brought back from Varennes; and on the 14th of July, on the
top of the altar of liberty, and in the presence of half a million of
Frenchmen, he sang Te Deum with the bishop of Paris, when the king
took the oath to the Constitution, amen being said to the ceremony for the
discharge of five hundred pieces of artillery. As the Emperor of Germany had
drawn a military cordon around the frontiers of France, to prevent the
introduction of French newspapers into Germany, he suggested the expedient
of making small balloons of paper, varnished with boiled oil, and filled
with inflammable air, to which newspapers and manifestoes might be tied.
This was accordingly practiced, and when the wind was favourable for
Germany, they were sent off, and descending in that country, where, with
their appendages, picked up by the people. They carried a small flag or
streamer, of which the following is a translation:-
"O’er hills and dales,
and limes of hostile troops, I float majestic,
Bearing the laws of God and Nature to oppressed men,
And bidding them with arms their rights maintain."
Mr Anderson died, January 13th,
1796, in the 70th year of his age, and the 41st year
of his professorship, directing, by his will, dated May 7th,
1795, that the whole of his effects of every kind, should be devoted to the
establishment of an educational institution in Glasgow, to be denominated Anderson’s
University, for the use of the unacademical classes; so that, even while
he was consigned to the silent dust, he might still, by means of his
honourably acquired wealth, prove of service to those whom he had benefited
so much, during his own life, by personal exertion. His will was carried
into effect on the 9th of June following, by the magistrates
granting a charter of incorporation to the proposed institution. According
to the design of the founder, there were to be four colleges – for arts,
medicine, law, and theology – besides an initiatory school. Each college
was to consist of nine professors, the senior professor being the president
or dean. As the funds, however, were inadequate to the plan, it was at first
commenced with only a single course of lectures on natural philosophy and
chemistry, by Dr Thomas Garnett, well known for his numerous scientific and
medical works, and also for his "Tour through the Highlands and part of
the Western Isles of Scotland." This course was attended for the first
year by nearly a thousand persons of both sexes. In 1798, a professor of
mathematics and geography was appointed. The splendid apparatus and library
of the founder, which were valued at 3000 pounds, added greatly to the
advantages of the infant institution. In 1799, Dr Garnett, being appointed
professor in the Royal Institution at London, was succeeded by the eminent
Dr Birbeck, who, in addition to the branches taught by his predecessor,
introduced a familiar system of philosophical and mechanical information to
five hundred operative mechanics, free of all expense, thus giving rise to
Mechanics’ Institution. The Andersonian institution was placed, by the
will of the founder, under the inspection and control of the Lord Provost,
and many other honourable persons, as ordinary visitors, and under the more
immediate superintendence of eighty-one trustees, who are elected by ballot,
and remain in office for life. Since the first establishment of the University,
as it may very properly be called, it has gradually been extended, nearer
and nearer to the original design of the founder. There are now (1852)
fifteen professors, who deliver lectures on surgery, institutes of medicine,
chemistry, practical chemistry, midwifery, practice of medicine, anatomy,
materia medica, pharmacy, and dietetics, medical jurisprudence and police,
mathematics, natural philosophy, botany, logic, geography, modern languages,
English literature, drawing, and painting, &c. The institution now
possesses handsome and commodious buildings, which belong to the
corporation, and, among other additions to its means of cultivating and
illustrating science, is an extensive museum of natural history and
antiquities. Anderson’s University must be considered a wonderful
example of the amount of good which one man, of no very great material
resources, may do for his kind. The private fortune of one professor in the
original college of Glasgow has here been found sufficient to produce a new
fount of learning, not unworthy to rank with the old, and of very great
practical utility to the public.
A posthumous work of professor Anderson,
entitled, "Observations on Roman Antiquities between the Forth and
Clyde," appeared in 1804.
Note: The University of Strathclyde
was chartered in 1964, but its history goes back to 1796 when it was founded
as Anderson's Institution, a school of science and technology. The
Andersonian Library was named for John Anderson, scholar and founder of the
university. The library holds some 850,000 volumes. Special collections
include works by Mr. Anderson, as well as science and technology and
business studies. The University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow, Scotland,
entered the 32 millionth bibliographic record into the OCLC Online Union
Catalog, becoming the first institution outside the United States to enter a
gold record. |
