Charles Niven

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Details of Charles Niven's career and scientific achievements are given in the obituary at THIS LINK

Here we give a few details which are additional to this Royal Society obituary.

Niven was 41 years as Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen, being appointed in 1880. He is best known in Aberdeen for building up Natural Philosophy in Marischal College but we note that Marischal College was only opened in 1906 when Niven had already been Professor for 26 years. On Thursday 27 September 1906 Marischal College was opened by the King and the 400th anniversary of the founding of the University was celebrated. Professor Charles Niven was presented to the King during the ceremony.

Niven's work with the Aberdeen Observatory is mentioned in a report in The Scotsman on Saturday, 21 September 1912:-

ABERDEEN OBSERVATORY

The work of a first order station has been continued as heretofore by Mr Clark, under the direction of Professor Charles Niven, F.R.S. The Dines pressure tube anemometer, which was installed some years ago for the purpose of comparison with the Robinson anemometer, was lent for a time during the summer to Mr E M Wedderburn, for use in connection with investigation of seiches in the Scottish lochs. Mr Clarke has presented to the office from time to time numerous photographs and sketches of sounds, and has formed an admirable collection of photos illustrating various cloud forms and phases of cloud formation, from which lantern slides for the illustration of lectures can be prepared. A set of consecutive photos included in this collection, taken within an hour and a half, was selected for reproduction in Geophysical Memoirs No. 2, in illustration of the hypothesis of cloud formation there put forward. By arrangement with Professor Niven, a pair of the odolites have been lent to the Observatory for the observation of pilot balloons. Suitable bases have been selected, and a number of soundings have already been made.

The Edinburgh Mathematical Society was founded in 1883 and at the meeting in June of that year Niven was elected as an honorary member.

Niven's funeral took place on Tuesday 15 May 1923 and The Scotsman reported on the funeral on the following day:-

Funeral of Professor Niven, Aberdeen

The funeral of Emeritus Professor Charles Niven, LL.D., F.R.S., who for 42 years occupied the Chair of Natural Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen, took place yesterday from King's College Chapel to Banchory Denenick United Free Churchyard. At the university chapel a service was conducted by Principal Sir George Adam Smith and the Rev. Charles McGlashan, Oldmachar Cathedral, and Professors Fulton and Cowan. The chief mourners were Mrs Niven (the widow, daughter of the late Sir David Stewart of Banchory Devenick), Mr Charles D Niven, B.Sc (son), and Miss Niven and Miss M S Niven (daughters.) At the graveside a short service was conducted by Professor Fulton and the Rev. Dr J Ironside Still. The pall-bearers were:- Mr Charles D Niven (son), Dr James Niven, late Medical Officer of Health, Manchester (brother); Colonel D B D Stewart; Banchory House; and Dr George L Stewart, Ipswich (brothers-in-law); Professors Harrower and Reid, Aberdeen University; Dr Fyvie and Dr Geddes, of the Natural Philosophy Department, Marischal College. Floral tributes, in addition to family wreaths, were forwarded from the Natural Philosophy Department, the Association of University Teachers, the students and the sacrists of King's and Marischal Colleges, and others.

Article by: J J O'Connor and E F Robertson

Additional Material in MacTutor

1. Obituary: Royal Society

Honours awarded to Charles Niven (Click below for those honoured in this way)
EMS Founder Member	1883
EMS Honorary Fellow	1883

JOC/EFR © November 2007 Copyright information	School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland
The URL of this page is: http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Niven_Charles.html