Archibald Milne, M.A., D.Sc.

RSE Obituary

by J R Peddie


Obituaries Index


Archibald Milne, who died on September 19, 1958 at the age of eighty-eight, had a long association with the training of teachers in the Moray House Training College, Edinburgh. After a distinguished undergraduate career at Edinburgh University, being a medallist in Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, he graduated with First Class Honours in 1899 and was appointed to the Moray House staff, then under the Church of Scotland. In 1907, when the College was transferred to the Provincial Committee for the Training of Teachers, he became Lecturer in Mathematics. He graduated D.Sc., in 1910 with a thesis on "The Confluent Hypergeometric Function".

In 1925 when the late Sir Godfrey Thomson was elected Professor of Education at Edinburgh and also Director of Studies at Moray House, Dr Milne became his Depute in which capacity he did valuable work as administrator right up to the date of his retirement in 1940.

Of a most sociable disposition, Dr Milne was widely known in a variety of interesting circles in Edinburgh. He was an original member of the Sir Walter Scott Club and of the Old Edinburgh Club. As well as being a popular member of the Scottish Arts Club and of the Society of Musicians, he played, in his time, a prominent part in Scottish Masonry being a Past Master of the Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's chapel), No. 1. He was also, for many years, a participant in the revels and charitable work of that almost unique body, the Fraternity of the Monks of St Giles.

He was elected a Fellow of the Society in 1905.

Archibald Milne was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 23 January 1905, his proposers being George Chrystal, James Geikie, Simon Somerville Laurie, Alexander Morgan. This obituary, written by J R Peddie, appears in the Royal Society of Edinburgh Year Book 1959/1960, pages 92-93.