Samson Gemmell

Gemmell was born in Catrine in 1848 and was educated at Glasgow High School. He applied to the University of Glasgow to study art, with a goal of joining the Civil Service, but a childhood deformity precluded this career move, and forced Gemmell to switch career to Medicine,[1] graduating in 1872 with a Medicine (M.B.) and Surgery (C.M.) qualification with Honours.[2]

Gemmell never married.[1]

Gemmell had a number of junior positions before becoming a physician. His first role was working for one year as a resident assistant to Sir William Tennant Gairdner at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.[2] From 1874 to 1877 Gemmell worked as Physician assistant to Dr JB Russell at the Glasgow Fever Hospital.[1] Gemmell then became a demonstrator of Anatomy for the anatomist Allen Thomson. In 1887 Gemmell was appointed as a physician to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. In 1892 he was appointed to the same position at the Western Infirmary.

In 1880, Gemmell became a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and was appointed as Professor to the Chair of Systematic Medicine at the Anderson's College Medical School.[1] In 1908 Gemmell was appointed to Regius Professor of Medicine, a position he held until 1913.[2] Gemmell was assisted in this role by Robert Stevenson Thomson. In 1888-1899 Gemmel became Professor of Clinical Medicine at Glasgow University and his position as Professor at Anderson's College was filled by Thomson.[3]

Gemmell died on 2 April 1913, possibly from a heart attack.[1][4]

Gemmell had a brother called William Gemmell, who donated bequeathed £20,000 to the university, to be used either in the medical or science faculties. £20,000 was a substantial sum of money at the time, equivalent to £624,980 in August 2018. The money was used to establish the first Chair of Paediatrics in Great Britain. The first occupant in 1924, was Leonard Findlay.[1] The Chair of Paediatrics was renamed in 1947 to the Samson Gemmell Chair of Child Health.[2]