| Authorised form of name | Barr; Archibald (1855 - 1931) |
| Dates | 1855 - 1931 |
| Place of birth | Glenfield House, Paisley |
| Date of birth | 18 November 1855 |
| Place of death | At his home Westerton of Mugdock, near Milngavie, near Glasgow |
| Date of death | 05/08/1931 |
| Research field | Engineering |
| Activity | Education:
Paisley Grammar School; apprentice at local engineering firm A F Craig, manufacturers of spinning and weaving machinery. Glasgow University for his BA (1878) DSc, LLD (Glasg, Birm)
Career:
Professor of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Leeds, where he met William Stroud, Professor of Physics (1884-1889); with Stroud he designed a short-base range-finder for infantry use, which not taken up bu encouraged the Admiralty to invite them to submit a further design which was adopted by the Royal Navy in 1892. Set up company 'Barr and Stroud's Patents' to market their creations. Regius Professor of Civil Engineering at Glasgow, (1889-1913), succeeding his old mentor, Thomson. Raised money to build Glasgow's James Watt Engineering Building (1901). Influenced the orgainising of the new Faculty of Science in 1893 and campaigned successfully for a lectureship in Electrical Engineering, established n 1898. Barr and Stroud expanded into a large purpose-built factory at Anniesland to test ad assemble range-finders, and manufacure binoculars, gun-sights and submarine periscopes by British and European navies. Barr resigned his university chair at Glasgow in 1913, becoming emeritus professor, though he remained chirman of Barr and Stroud until his death.
Helped form the Scottish Aeronautical Club in 1909, becoming its president, and was a promoter of Scotland's first aviation meeting at Lanark in 1919. Governor of the Royal Scottish National Institution for the care of those with learning difficulties. |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 03/05/1923 |
| Relationships | Married in 1885, Isabella Young, eldest daughter of John Young a wood merchant of PAisley; one daughter, three sons. |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll
Obituaries:
Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 1932-1935 vol l pp 31-36, plate, signed by J W F |
| Code | NA1421 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| MS/525/6/10/6 | Copy letter from Archibald Barr, Barr and Stroud Limited, Anniesland, Glasgow, to Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, Holeyn Hall, Wylam-on-Tyne | 12 March 1915 |
| NLB/5/299 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to [John William Strutt] Lord Rayleigh, [Royal Society] | 4 May 1891 |
| NLB/5/321 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to Professor Archibald Barr, Royston, Dowanhill, Glasgow | 14 May 1891 |
| EC/1923/03 | Barr, Archibald: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| NLB/5/322 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to Professor Archibald Barr, Royston, Dowanhill, Glasgow | 13 May 1891 |
| NLB/5/300 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to Archibald Barr, Royston, Dowanhill, Glasgow | 4 May 1891 |