Person Muir; Sir; Thomas (1844 - 1934); mathematician and educationist Muir Thomas Sir mathematician and educationist 1844 - 1934 British Male Stonebyres, Falls of Clyde, Lanarkshire, Scotland 25 August 1844 18440825 Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa 21/03/1934 19340321 Burial: Maitland cemetery, near Rondebosch

mathematician and educationist Algebra Mathematics Education: Wishaw public school; Glasgow University (1863–8) LLD; MA Career: Mathematical tutor at the University of St Andrews (1868–71); assistant to Hugh Blackburn, professor of mathematics at Glasgow University (1871-4); head of the mathematics and science departments at the high school of Glasgow (1874–92); moved to South Africa and in Cape Colony succeeded Sir Langham Dale as superintendent-general of education (1892-1915) where he reorganised the entire public education system, from elementary school to university; vice-chancellor of the University of the Cape in (1897–1901). Honours: CMG 1901; Kt 1915 Memberships: FRSE Edinburgh Mathematical Society (founding member) South African Association for the Advancement of Science (President 1910) Awards/Medals: RSE Keith Prize 1884; 1899 Parents: George Muir, railway superintendent, and Mary Brown. Spouse: Maggie (d. 1919), youngest daughter of Dugald Bell, merchant, of Dunbartonshire, and his wife, Isabella Young (12 October 1876). Children: Two sons and two daughters. Remembered as an authority on determinants. Fellow 14/06/1900 56 Joseph David Everett; John Murray; Andrew Russell Forsyth; [John William Strutt] Rayleigh; George Hartley Bryan; Micaiah John Muller Hill; Percy Alexander MacMahon; Charles Chree [William Thompson] Kelvin; James Joseph Sylvester; David Gill; James Thomson Bottomley; John Gray McKendrick; Andrew Gray Sources: Bulloch's Roll Obituaries: Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 1932-1935 vol l pp 179-184, plate, by Herbert Westren Turnbull 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.1934.0002 25 Aug 1844 - 21 Mar 1934 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 08/05/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA3587 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes 1e7f3e78-a7be-4392-8972-289e46cb2ac7