William McLachlan Dewar

Dr William McLachlan Dewar CBE FRSE FRSA DLit (1905-1979) was a Scottish writer and educator who served as Headmaster of George Heriot's School from 1947 to 1970. Tam Dalyell, a former pupil, described him as a “fierce headmaster” in his autobiography.[1]

Life

He was born on 19 April 1905 in Crieff in Perthshire the son of James McLachlan Dewar and Annie Kempie Cuthbert. He was educated locally at Morrison's Academy. He then studied Classics at Edinburgh University graduating MA.

His first role as Headmaster was in the 1930s as Rector of Greenock Academy before gaining the prestigious role of Headmaster of Heriot’s in 1947. During the Second World War he trained Scottish Air Cadets as Pilots.[2] He received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for this work in 1955.[3] In 1958 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Hugh Bryan Nisbet, Isaac Arthur Preece, Maurice George Say and Walter George Green. In 1970 he was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) on his retirement, for services to Scottish education.[4] Edinburgh University also granted him an honorary doctorate (DLit).[5]

Dewar also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1970.[6]

He died on 16 September 1979.

Family

He married Mary Sinclair Anderson in 1935.

References

  1. ↑ Dalyell, Tam (2012). The Importance of Being Awkward: The Autobiography of Tam Dalyell. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 9781780270890.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 35203. p. 3694. 27 June 1941. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40497. p. 3270. 9 June 1955. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45117. p. 6372. 13 June 1970. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002: Biographical Index Part 1" (PDF). Royal Society of Edinburgh. June 2006. ISBN 090219884X. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh: Honorary Graduates". www1.hw.ac.uk. Heriot-Watt University. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
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