Edward McCombie McGirr

In 1961 McGirr was appointed Muirhead Professor of Medicine at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and over the next fifteen years his department emerged as one of the best in the UK for clinical research.

In 1974 Professor McGirr was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Glasgow, a post held until his retirement in 1981.

Other appointments included honorary consultant physician to the army in Scotland, and membership of Greater Glasgow Health Board.

In recognition of his work, McGirr was appointed a CBE in 1978, an honorary DSc in 1995, and fellowships of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the American College of Physicians.

century physician William Cullen who almost 200 years before had, like himself, been educated at the Hamilton Academy school and Glasgow University.