Professor Hugh Alexander Webster FRSE, FRSGS (1849 – 7 January 1926) was a Scottish teacher, librarian and encyclopaedist.

Hugh Webster was fluent in fourteen languages which allowed him to access sources from European and Asian writers.

"[1] Geddes also reported a comment from his friend and colleague George Sandeman in his editing of Nelson's Encyclopaedia, Webster was his most able and valued co-adjutor.

He authored the articles on Borneo, the Celebes islands, Colombia, Korea, the Danube, the Druse people of Syria, Ecuador, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Geneva, Guiana, Hainan, the Indian archipelago, Italy, Java, Montenegro, the river Niger, the river Nile, Patagonia, The Philippines, Réunion, Rio de Janeiro, the Sahara, Sierra Leone, and Sumatra.

Hugh Webster was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh FRSE on 2 May 1887 proposed by Sir John Murray, William Evans Hoyle, Robert Gray, Alexander Buchan.

The University granted him several furloughs but in the end he developed delirium tremens, had a breakdown, lost his job as Librarian and was confined to home.