George Thom

For the Scotland international rugby union player, see George Thom (rugby union).

George Thom (1842–1916) was a Scottish mathematician and pedagogue who was principal at Dollar Academy from 1878 to 1902.

George Thom
Born	(1842-07-02)2 July 1842 Forgue (Huntly), Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died	20 December 1916(1916-12-20) (aged 74) Aberdeen, Scotland
Resting place	Dollar Churchyard (Clackmannanshire, Scotland) 56.163675°N 3.669141°W / 56.163675; -3.669141
Alma mater	University of Aberdeen
Scientific career
Fields	Mathematics
Institutions	Dollar Academy

Life and work

Thom graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1863. In 1867 he became Principal of Doveton College in Madras, India and he remained there till 1876, when he returned to Scotland as Vice-Principal of Chanonry School Aberdeen. In 1878 he was appointed Rector of Dollar Institution (later to become Dollar Academy). He held this post for 24 years, till his retirement in 1902. He was a founder member of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society in 1883 and became its fifth President in 1886. In 1887 the University of St Andrews conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Laws^[1]

He wrote a number of standard class-books on mathematics, botany, physiology, and other subjects.^[2]