Background
Irvine was born in Glasgow to factory-owner John Irvine (a manufacturer of light-castings) and Mary Paton Colquhoun.
Irvine was born in Glasgow to factory-owner John Irvine (a manufacturer of light-castings) and Mary Paton Colquhoun.
He was educated at Allan Glen"s School. He then studied at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, before taking a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Street Andrews.
As a research chemist, Irvine worked on the application of methylation techniques to carbohydrates, and isolated the first methylated sugars, trimethyl and tetramethyl glucose. From there, he went to the University of Leipzig, where he studied for a Doctor of Philosophy under Ostwald and Wislicenus. Returning to Street Andrews, he was awarded a Doctor of Science degree, and taught Chemistry there.
He was appointed Professor of Chemistry in 1909 and Dean of Science in 1912.
In 1921, he was appointed Principal. His commitments spanned further than the University, into higher education in Britain and the colonies.
He also served as acting Principal of University College Dundee. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1917 and a Fellow of The Royal Society of London in 1918.
He served as Vice President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1922 to 1925.
He received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Aberdeen, Cambridge, Columbia, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, McGill, Oxford, Princeton, Toronto, Wales and Yale. He died at home in Street Andrews on 12 June 1952 and was buried in the eastern cemetery close to the main lower entrance gate. Irvine married Mabel Violet Williams in 1905.
Royal Society.