Norman Alexander

Sir Norman Stanley Alexander CBE (7 October 1907 – 26 March 1997) was a New Zealand physicist instrumental in the establishment of many Commonwealth universities, including Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, and the Universities of the West Indies, the South Pacific and Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.^[1]

Life

Alexander was born in Mangapiko, Te Awamutu, New Zealand. He was married to a fellow PhD student and noted meteorologist Elizabeth Caldwell. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1959 Birthday Honours,^[2] and was knighted in March 1966.^[3]

Career

• Physics lecturer at Auckland University College
• 1930 – won the Commonwealth scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge.
• 1936–41 Professor of Physics, Raffles College, Singapore.
• 1945–49 Dean of Science, University of Malaya
• 1949–52 Professor of Physics and Vice-president, University College, Ibadan, Nigeria
• 1952–60 Professor of Engineering Physics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
• 1961–66 Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
• 1966 University of the West Indies
• 1966–68 Vice Chancellor University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay, Fiji
• 1970 – Advisor: UK Ministry of Overseas Development, Inter-University Council for Higher Education Overseas, London University School of Oriental and African Studies^[4]

Service

He was imprisoned in Changi Prison in 1942, and word had made its way to New Zealand that he had died, only later to be told that he was actually still alive. Using his academic knowledge, Alexander helped to build a salt evaporation plant at Changi and a small industrial plant that fermented surgical spirit and other products for prison hospital. Upon release, he eventually headed a New Zealand commission of investigation into abuses at Sime Road Internment Camp.

References