Background
Alexander Anderson was born on 12 May 1858, the son of Daniel Anderson, of Camus, Coleraine, County Londonderry.
Alexander Anderson was born on 12 May 1858, the son of Daniel Anderson, of Camus, Coleraine, County Londonderry.
Studied at Queen"s College, Galway. Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. First Science Scholar and first Peel Prizeman in geometry, Queen's College, Galway, 1876.
Second Peel Exhibitioner at first University Examination in Arts, 1879, and prizeman as the best answerer in mathematics.
Gold Medal at Bachelor of Arts Examination, 1880, and at Master of Arts Examination, 1881. Open scholarship, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, 1881 (first place).
Goldsmith’s Exhibitioner, 1882. Sixth Wrangler, 1884.
Master of Arts; Doctor of Laws.
In electrical engineering he is known for Anderson"s bridge. He was the first physicist to suggest the existence of black holes. He was awarded gold medals on the results of his Bachelor of Arts examination in 1880, and his Master of Arts examination in 1881.
There, he was Goldsmith Exhibitioner for 1882, and graduated sixth wrangler in 1884.
In 1885, Anderson returned to Queen"s College Galway, where he was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy, a post he held until 1934. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal University of Ireland in 1886, and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1891.
He was appointed President of Queen"s College Galway on the resignation of Professor West. J. M. Starkie in 1899. Anderson was conferred with an honorary L.L.D. by the University of Glasgow in 1901.
He was Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Ireland in 1915 and 1920.
Anderson married Mission Emily Binns, of Galway. He retired as President of the College in 1934, and died in September 1936.
He served as a Senator of both the Royal University of Ireland, and its successor, the National University of Ireland, and as a member of the Dublin Commissioners appointed under the Irish Universities Acting of 1908.