Archibald Barr 
Biography of Archibald Barr
Archibald Barr, 1891
Archibald Barr (1855-1931) was a graduate of the University who was Regius Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, 1889 to 1912. He was awarded an honorary LLD in 1914.
Born near Paisley, Barr studied at the University and graduated BSc in 1878 and DSc in 1890. In 1876 he became Young Assistant to the Regius Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, James Thomson, and in 1884 he was appointed Professor of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the Yorkshire College of Science, later the University of Leeds.
Barr returned to Glasgow in 1889 to take the Regius Chair. He had already formed a design consultancy business with William Stroud, the Professor of Physics in Leeds, and the two men formed a successful company, Barr & Stroud, designing and later manufacturing rangefinders and other optical equipment for military and naval use. Barr became the senior partner and the head of the design team at the firm's Anniesland factory, and in 1912 he resigned his chair to focus on the firm's development.
During his period at the University, the number of students studying Engineering rose from thirty-nine to more than 200. He raised £40,000 from local industrialists and charitable bodies to build Glasgow's James Watt Engineering Building in 1901, and he persuaded companies to donate most of the £14,000 required for the purchase of the scientific equipment installed in its laboratories. He was influential in organising the new Faculty of Science in 1893 and successfully campaigned for a lectureship in Electrical Engineering, which was established in 1898.
Summary
Archibald Barr
Engineer and Rangefinder Manufacturer
Born 18 November 1855, Glenfield, Scotland.
Died 5 August 1931.
GU Degrees: BSc, 1878; DSc, 1890; LLD, 1914;
University Link: Graduate, Honorary Graduate, Professor
Occupation categories: engineers
NNAF Reference: GB/NNAF/P145398
View Major Archive Collection Record
Record last updated: 16th Jul 2009
Country Associations
Scotland
Place of Birth
University Connections
University Roles
- Graduate [View Archibald Barr's record in the list of graduates]
- Honorary Graduate
- Professor
Academic Posts
Professorships:
World Changing Achievements
Archibald Barr is listed on the University of Glasgow World Changing website.
On This Day Entries
- Barr & Stroud apply to patent their new optical rangefinder (June 30 1888)
- Professor Barr: range-finder (August 1 1888)
- Battle of Tsushima (May 28 1905)
