Page 30 - Quadrangle: 39th Edition

Quadrangle Feb21 v11.qxp_Layout 1 04/03/2021 15:31 Page 30

30

IN

MEMORIAM

Emeritus Professor Colin William Davidson
Bsc(Hons), PhD, HonFIEE

18th September 1934 - 8th October 2020
A tribute by his daughter, Heather Rogan

Colin Davidson was well known in the field of Electrical Engineering
Education. He was twice appointed as Head of Department of Electrical
Engineering at Heriot-Watt University and served twice as Dean of the
Engineering Faculty. He was a member of the Institution of Electrical
Engineers for over sixty years and served on or chaired many of its Boards
and Committees. He was elected as a Vice-President and served as
Honorary Treasurer. He served as secretary for a group of members who
objected to changes proposed by the Trustees in connection with the
merger of the IEE and the IIE and their own proposals were supported
by the membership in the first special general meeting ever held by the
IEE since its foundation in 1871. For services to the profession he was
appointed as an Honorary Fellow of the IEE. He was also a liveryman
of the Worshipful Company of Engineers of the City of London and
a Freeman of the City of London. He served on the Senate of the
Engineering Council.
Colin was the youngest of four children of William Boston Davidson, an
Executive Engineer with the then General Post Office and his wife Jane
(née Donaldson). From his father he learned skills in engineering and
radio and went on to become a licensed radio amateur. He was educated
at George Heriot's School and the University of Edinburgh. At Heriot's
he was awarded the Miller Prize in Applied Science and later in his career Along with a colleague at Edinburgh University he attended a sailing
he served as a Governor. At Edinburgh University he studied Electrical course at Glenmore Lodge in the Cairngorms and together they bought
Engineering and was awarded medals in Mathematics and a racing dinghy which started his sailing career. Through sailing he met
Electromagnetics. He graduated with First class Honours and went on his wife Ranee and they spent their honeymoon racing in their Yachting
to study for a Diploma in Electronics & Radio which was awarded with World catamaran at the centenary regatta of the Royal Danish Yacht
merit. He took up a post as a Research Associate but after a few months Club, held off Copenhagen, where they came second in their class.
was appointed as a lecturer in the expanding electrical department; Ranee and their daughters survive him.
he graduated with a PhD in microwave engineering in 1960.
Outside his professional activities he served the wider community as
In 1961 he left university and took up an appointment as an electronics an elected member of Lothian Regional Council and more recently as
engineer with Nuclear Enterprises (GB) Ltd., but after four years he was Chairman of Craignish Community Council and as Company Secretary
attracted back to the academic world, joining Heriot-Watt College as a for the new Argyll Community Housing Association. In connection with
lecturer when it had been designated as one of the new Scottish sailing he served in various capacities for the Royal Highland Yacht Club
Universities. Apart from a year of absence spent teaching at and as Secretary & Treasurer for the West Highland Anchorages and
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok he remained at Heriot-Watt for the Moorings Association which aims to protect our west coast anchorages.
rest of his career.