Graham John Hills

Sir Graham Hills, FRSE (9 April 1926 – 9 February 2014) was a physical chemist, who was Principal of the University of Strathclyde and a Governor of the BBC. He was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex and was educated at Westcliff High School for Boys and Birkbeck College, London (BSc 1946, PhD 1950). He was knighted in 1988 for his services to education.^[1]

Academic career

Hills served at the University of Southampton as Professor of Physical Chemistry for 18 years, until 1980. Thereafter, he became Principal at Strathclyde University. There, early focus was on accommodating government spending cuts by the University Grants Committee (UK), as well as other financial difficulties. He found alternative income sourcing, and also restructured the university to reduce its nine schools to four faculties in 1982 and to introduce early retirement for faculty members.

The financial challenge stabilized, Hill turned to expanding the university. Purchases were made in 1981 and 1987 respectively of the Barony Church (restored in 1984 and converted into a graduation hall) and Marland House (a former British Telecom office block which was renamed Graham Hills Building). New student residences were constructed on campus.^[2]

After Sir Graham's retirement, he was the driving force behind the establishment of a University of the Highlands and Islands. He moved to Inverness to participate fully in this enterprise as an advisor to the nascent University. In 2004, he co-authored with Robin Lingard the book UHI: The Making of a University, containing a comprehensive account of the background behind its establishment.

Professional posts

• Imperial College, London: Lecturer in Physical Chemistry, 1949-1962.
• University of Southampton: Professor of Physical Chemistry, 1962-1980.
• University of Western Ontario: Visiting Professor, 1968.
• Case Western Reserve University: Visiting Professor, 1969.
• University of Buenos Aires, Visiting Professor, 1977.
• University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: Principal and Vice-Chancellor, 1980-1991.

Professional committee work

• President of International Society of Electrochemistry, 1983-1985.
• Non-Executive Director: Scottish Post Office Bd, 1986-1999.
• Member: Council for Science and Technology, 1987-1993.
• Scottish Development Agency, 1988-1990.
• Member: Council for National Academic Awards, 1988-1993.
• Glasgow Action Partnership, 1989-1990.
• Scottish governor of the BBC, 1989-1994.
• Design Council, 1989-1990.
• Society of Chemical Industry, 1991-1993.
• Scottish Enterprise, 1991-1993.
• Design and Industries Association, 1992-1996.
• Chairman of the Council of Quarrier’s Homes, 1992-1997.
• Chairman of the Ness Foundation (formerly Highland Psychiatric Res.), 1998-2003.

Professional fellowships

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1990
• Fellow of Scottish Vocational Education Council, 1989
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, 1978.
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 1950.

Professional honours

• Hon. DSc: Southampton, 1984; Lisbon, 1994.
• Hon. ScD: Technical University of Lodz, Poland, 1984.
• Commander, Polish Order of Merit, 1984.
• Hon. LLD: Glasgow, 1985; Waterloo,Canada, 1991; Strathclyde, 1991
• Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, 1986,
• Hon. Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, 1988.
• Hon. Medal, University of Pavia, Italy, 1988.
• Hon. Fellow of the Polytechnic of East London, 1991.
• Hon. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 1992.
• DUniv: Paisley, 1993.
• Hon. Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, 1996.
• Hon. DEd University of Abertay Dundee, 1999.

Publications

• Hills, G. J. Reference Electrodes, 1961.
• Hills, G. J., Inheritance of Michael Faraday, (University of Southampton), 1964.
• Hills, G. J., Polarography, (Macmillan), 1964.
• Hills, G. J. (ed.) Electrochemistry: A Review of Chemical Literature: vols 1-3 (Specialist Periodical Reports), (Royal Society of Chemistry), 1970, 71, 73.
• Hills, G. J., Transactions of the Faraday Society Articles (Royal Society of Chemistry) (numerous contributions on electrochemistry.
• Hills, Graham & Lingard, Robin, UHI: The Making of a University, (Dunedin Academic Press), 2004.

Honors

• Honorary degree, University of Pavia, 1988.

Obituaries

A list of Obituaries available online and accessed 3/8/2015:

• The Royal Society. This is a pdf printable document.
• The Scotsman. A photograph of Sir Graham is given here.
• The Daily Telegraph. A photograph is also given here.
• The Independent. This obituary was written by Tam Dalyell), with photograph.
• The Herald. This is a letter written to the newspaper
• The Times Higher Educational Supplement,
• The Royal Society of Chemistry,
• The Strathclyde Telegraph. This is the university student newspaper.

References

External links

• Glasgow Action Partnership
• Papers of Sir Graham Hills available at Strathclyde University Archives. Collection OM/274