Person Mitchell; Sir; Peter Chalmers (1864 - 1945); zoologist Mitchell Peter Chalmers Sir zoologist 1864 - 1945 British Male Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland 23 November 1864 18641123 University College Hospital, London, England 02/07/1945 19450702 Cremation: Whipsnade, Dunstable, England (1945)

zoologist Zoology Anatomy Education: Dunfermline high school; Aberdeen grammar school; King's College, University of Aberdeen; DSc; MA (Oxon) Career:Lecturer at Charing Cross Hospital medical school; lecturer London Hospital (1894); worked in the prosectorium of the Zoological Society of London, where there was widespread dissatisfaction of the management of the Zoo under Philip Lutley Sclater (FRS 1861), the society’s secretary since 1859; elected as the secretary of the Zoological Society of London, upon Sclater’s retirement (1903) and immediately implemented the recommendations of the 1902 committee of inquiry; delivered the Royal Institution Christmas Lecture on 'The Childhood of Animals' (1911); oversaw the development of Mappin Terraces, a massive reinforced concrete structure for animals, including bears and wild goats, reducing confinement of animals (1914); involved with the department of military intelligence at the War Office, concentrating on propaganda for distribution on the German front lines, and developing the idea of dropping leaflets from hydrogen balloons (1914-1918); oversaw the opening of an aquarium under Mappin Terraces, the Zoological Society’s most ambitious project (1924) and a new reptile house (1927); succeeded in encouraging the Zoological Society to purchase the Whipsnade Farm in Bedfordshire and subsequently opened a new zoological park (1931); retired as secretary of the Zoological Society (1935); moved to Málaga, staying there during the first six months of the Spanish Civil War; served as honorary treasurer of the Joint Committee for Soviet Aid (1939-1945); died as a consequence of accidentally being knocked down outside the north gate of London Zoo (1945). Honours: CBE (1918); Kt (1929) Memberships: FLS; FZS; Savile Club; President of the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire (1923-1927) Parents: Revd Alexander Mitchell, and Marion Hay, daughter of the Revd Peter Chalmers. Spouse: Lilian Bessie Pritchard (d. 1965), youngest daughter of Charles Pritchard (1808–1893) (1893) Remembered mainly for hisgreat services as Secretary of the Zoological Society of London between 1903-1935. Ensured animals were kept in well-ventilated accommocation adn had access to open air. Known for founding Whipsnade Zoo. Published a series of papers on the muscular system and internal anatomy of bords, including a monographic study of the intestines of birds, and a similar study on the intestines of mammals. Fellow 03/05/1906 42 William Turner Thiselton-Dyer; Sydney John Hickson; John Bretland Farmer; Frank Evers Beddard; Joseph Fayrer; Harry Govier Seeley; William Abbott Herdman; Frederick William Pavy John Scott Burdon-Sanderson; Edwin Ray Lankester; Edward Bagnall Poulton; Walter Frank Raphael Weldon; Adam Sedgwick; Hans Friedrich Gadow; Arthur Smith Woodward; James Cossar Ewart; Thomas George Bond Howes; Henry Woodward Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB Obituaries: Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 1945-1948 vol 5 pp 367-372, plate, by Edward Hindle International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.1947.0005 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.1941.0017 RCN 55645 23 Nov 1864 - 2 Jul 1945 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 27/02/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update NA1851 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/25383643 94e081be-0759-4024-92f1-460791803ee0