William Buchan Inglis (1901-1971)

William Buchan Inglis (1901-1971) was the first Principal of Moray House College of Education.

Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, he studied at Glasgow, graduating MA in 1922. He went on to study for an MEd (1927) and and PhD (1930). While still a postgraduate, he was appointed Lecturer in Education at Glasgow University (1929), remaining in post until 1940. Here he worked closely with William Boyd (1874-1962), who established the first Scottish child guidance clinic.

In 1940, he moved to the Edinburgh Provincial Training Centre at Moray House, working under Sir Godfrey Hilton Thomson (1881-1955), as Deputy Director of Studies. Since 1925, Thomson had combined the roles of Bell Professor of Education at Edinburgh University and Director of Studies at Moray House. When he retired in 1951, the two posts were separated, and Inglis succeeded Thomson at Moray House. (John Gustave Pilley (1899-1968) was appointed to the Bell Chair of Education.)

Inglis was an influential figure in the development of Scottish Teacher Education, and in forging a wider role for the Colleges of Education. He also had a particular interest in the training of youth leaders, community workers and social workers, and was responsible for setting up the School of Community Studies at Moray House.

Sources

• J. Callan Anderson, 'Community Studies', in Moray House and Professional Education: Papers to Mark the College's 150th Anniversary, ed. Gordon Kirk (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1985), pp. 46-56.
• Wilson Bain, 'The Historical Perspective', in Moray House and Professional Education, pp. 1-13.
• Papers of William Buchan Inglis, 1901-1971, Principal of Moray House College, Edinburgh, Scotland, Glasgow University Archive Services, Archives Hub [accessed 11 December 2014]