Stevenson Macadam FRSE FIC FCS FRSSA (27 April 1829 – 24 January 1901) was a Scottish scientist, analytical chemist, lecturer, and academic author.

Stevenson Macadam was born at North Bank in Glasgow on 27 April 1829, one of four sons and four daughters (the eldest being a half brother).

[7] William was a Glasgow businessman who owned a mill and textile printing works at Greenholme, Kilmarnock.

[8][9] He and his fellow industrialists in the craft around Glasgow had developed the expertise in chemistry processes for the large scale industrial printing of fabrics for which these plants in the area became well known, both for domestic and foreign supply.

[28] Mary Elison Macadam[29] Stevenson studied at the Glasgow Mechanics Institution; College of Science and Arts[30] (now the University of Strathclyde).

He received his first tuition at the Mechanics Institution under his elder brother John Macadam after whom the Macadamia nut was later named.

Whilst in Germany he also spent some time working in the famous laboratory of Robert Bunsen.

Afterwards John Macadam returned to Glasgow for further medical studies[32](before emigrating to Australia in 1855[33] where he died aged 38).

Stevenson then became Dr. George Wilson's assistant, in his brother's stead, at the University of Edinburgh and at the Royal College of Surgeons from 1847 to 1855.

[3] It seems likely that the various types of complex chemical processes involved in their father's factory in his calico printing and manufacturing business was what got William's sons interested in the field of chemistry, in which they were to play such a pioneering role in their later lives.

[40] During that time Dr. Macadam conducted his large classes in Adam Square at the School of Arts, with which he had been connected for several years.

[3] His three-year course led to the qualification ChB, representing a full understanding of medical drugs and their properties.

Dr. Macadam was a successful lecturer and his classes were very well attended and "were a standing memorial" to his power of teaching in the view of The Scotsman.

[55] There he was able to engage in his favourite outdoor pursuits, fly fishing on the Tweed and Leithen Water, hill walking, rowing and following the Otter Hounds.

Grannie used to spend a lot of time tending to her hothouse flowers – we children often got into trouble when Thomas – the gardener coachman – reported doors left open.

A large weeping willow with wooden seat around the trunk grew in the middle of the lawn and here we used to have strawberry feasts in season.

[59] "The kitchen was a large one, two storeys high, nearby was a big store room which generally had hams, plum puddings and such like hanging from hooks in the ceiling.

They had five children:[20] While fishing on the River Tweed at Clovenfords, a stretch of water belonging to the Edinburgh Angling Club, of which he was president, he injured himself, which resulted in blood poisoning and complications and he died rather unexpectedly a week later on 24 January 1901, aged 72.