GEORGE GILBERT
RAMSAY
THE late Professor of Humanity in Glasgow University is the
third son of Sir George Ramsay, ninth baronet of Banff, and was born in 1839. He
was educated at Rugby Public School and at Trinity College, Oxford, where he
took his degree in 1862, gaining a First Class both in Classical Moderations and
in the Final Classical School. At the age of twenty-four he succeeded his uncle
in the Humanity Chair, and afterwards, both in the Old College in High Street
and in the newer institution on Gilmorehill, he had every year under his charge
the largest classes of the University. During the forty-three years of his
professorship he probably opened the charmed gates of the literae humaniores to
a larger number of students than any other holder of a Latin Chair. Professor
Ramsay played a strong part in making University bursaries competitive instead
of merely nominative as before, thus strongly stimulating their educative
effect. He also greatly helped the development of secondary education in the
country. To his influence may be attributed the establishment of the Classical
Association of Scotland. He served for two periods in the University Court, and
gave most valuable service at the time of passing of the Universities Act. He is
a Governor of the West of Scotland Technical College, also of the Hutchesons'
Educational Trust, in the administration of whose schools, as well as in that of
Allan Glen's School, he has taken a warm interest. From 1892-95 he was a Member
of the Royal Commission for reorganising the University of London.
Among his published works have been "Selections from Tibullus
and Propertius," 1887, and a Manual of Latin Prosody in three volumes, of which
the third, "Latin Versions" by selected scholars, is in its fourth edition. He
has also published a translation of the Annals of Tacitus, with introduction,
notes and maps.
Professor Ramsay married in 1865 Gertrude Schuyler, daughter
of Mr. Robert Graham, of Brooksby, Largs, Ayrshire. He takes his recreation in
athletics of many kinds - golf, shooting, skating, cycling, mountaineering, and
the like.
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Index of Glasgow Men (1909)