George Birkbeck

George Birkbeck FRS (; 10 January 1776 – 1 December 1841) was a British physician, academic, philanthropist, pioneer in adult education and a professor of natural philosophy at the Andersonian Institute. He is the founder of Birkbeck, University of London and was head of the Chemical Society. He is one of the creators of the earliest chemistry laboratory for undergraduates at University College London, and is also known for the creation of mechanics' institutes in Scotland and London. Early life and education Birkbeck was born on 10 January 1776 to a Quaker family in Settle, West Riding of Yorkshire. His mother was Sarah and his father, William, was a merchant and banker. Birkbeck went to Sedbergh School and then studied medicine at Leeds and London before completing his training as a doctor at the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1799 with an MD degree. Career Before practising as a physician, he embarked on an academic career, being appointed professor of natural philosophy at the Andersonian Institute in Glasgow, which later became the University of Strathclyde. After mechanics started asking questions about the apparatus he used in his lectures, he had the idea of holding free, public lectures on the "mechanical arts". These Saturday evening events proved very popular and continued after his departure to London. His fourth annual lecture attracted a crowd of 500, and became an annual occurrence,leading to the formation in 1821 of the first mechanics' institute in Edinburgh (the Edinburgh School of Arts). These new institutions gave classes, and included libraries, and apparatus to be used for experiments and technical education.