# Alexander Thomas Cameron

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexander_Thomas_Cameron
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexander_Thomas_Cameron.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Thomas_Cameron
> Source revision: 1328162089
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|British biochemist (1882–1947)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name             = Alexander Thomas Cameron
| image            = 
| image_size       = 
| caption          = 
| birth_date       = {{birth date text|1882}}
| birth_place      = [London, England](/source/London%2C_England)
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1947|09|02|1882}}
| death_place      = [Winnipeg, Manitoba](/source/Winnipeg%2C_Manitoba), Canada
| field            = [Biochemistry](/source/Biochemistry)
| work_institution = [University of Manitoba](/source/University_of_Manitoba)
| alma_mater       = [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh)
| doctoral_advisor = <!--please insert-->
| known_for        = Professor of Biochemistry at [University of Manitoba](/source/University_of_Manitoba); author of ''[Textbook of Biochemistry](/source/Textbook_of_Biochemistry)''
| religion         = 
| footnotes        = 
}}

'''Alexander Thomas Cameron''' (1882 &ndash; 25 September 1947) was a British-born Canadian [biochemist](/source/biochemist). He was best known as Professor of Biochemistry at the [University of Manitoba](/source/University_of_Manitoba), and as the author of numerous popular biochemistry textbooks, including the ''[Textbook of Biochemistry](/source/Textbook_of_Biochemistry).''

==Biography==
Alexander Thomas Cameron was born in 1882 in [London, England](/source/London%2C_England), to Scottish parents.<ref name=BJ>White, F.D. & Collip J.B. (1948) "Obituary Notice: Alexander Thomas Cameron, 1882-1947," ''Biochemical Journal'', 43(1): 1–2</ref> His early education took place in [Swindon](/source/Swindon).<ref name=BJ/> Cameron graduated from the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh) with a [Master of Arts](/source/Master_of_Arts) in 1904, and a [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in 1906.<ref name=BJ/> His first published paper appeared in ''Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh'' in 1905, and concerned the [crystallisation](/source/crystallisation) of [potassium hydrogen succinate](/source/succinate).<ref name=BJ/> In 1907 he was awarded the Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize in Chemistry <ref name=Archive>Handwritten essay available at the [https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/19464 Edinburgh Research Archive].</ref>

Cameron was awarded an [1851 Exhibition Scholarship](/source/1851_Exhibition_Scholarship) in 1906,<ref name=BJ/><ref name=BMJ>B.M. (1947) "Alexander Thomas Cameron," ''The British Medical Journal'', Vol. 2, No. 4529 (Oct. 25, 1947), p. 673</ref> and spent the next two years studying [radiochemistry](/source/radiochemistry) at [University College, London](/source/University_College%2C_London), under [Sir William Ramsay](/source/Sir_William_Ramsay).<ref name=BJ/><ref name=BMJ/> He subsequently spent a year at the Technical High School<ref name=BJ/> (or Polytechnic Institute<ref name=BMJ/>) in [Karlsruhe, Germany](/source/Karlsruhe%2C_Germany), under [Fritz Haber](/source/Fritz_Haber).<ref name=BJ/>

In 1909, Cameron was appointed lecturer in physiology at the [University of Manitoba](/source/University_of_Manitoba) in [Winnipeg, Manitoba](/source/Winnipeg%2C_Manitoba), Canada.<ref name=BJ/><ref name=BMJ/> Working under [Professor Swale Vincent](/source/Swale_Vincent),<ref name=BJ/><ref name=BMJ/> Cameron fostered an interest in [endocrinology](/source/endocrinology), researching the distribution of [iodine](/source/iodine) in [living tissues](/source/tissue_(biology)).<ref name=BJ/> In 1923, the department of physiology was branched to include a separate biochemistry department, for which Cameron was appointed professor.<ref name=BJ/>

Apart from a summer semester spent at the [University of Heidelberg](/source/University_of_Heidelberg), under [Albrecht Kossel](/source/Albrecht_Kossel), and three years as captain, [R.A.M.C.](/source/R.A.M.C.), with the [British Expeditionary Force](/source/British_Expeditionary_Force_(World_War_I)) in France during [World War I](/source/World_War_I), Cameron spent the remainder of his career at the University of Manitoba.<ref name=BJ/> His publications on the biochemistry of iodine earned him a [D.Sc.](/source/D.Sc.) from the University of Edinburgh in 1925.<ref name=BJ/><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cameron|first=A. T.|date=1925|title=Contributions to the biochemistry of iodine and the thyroid and related problems|url=https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/29044|language=en}}</ref>

In 1928, Cameron published ''[Textbook of Biochemistry](/source/Textbook_of_Biochemistry),'' which became a standard in its field. By 1948, the textbook had gone through six editions, in addition to one [Chinese](/source/Chinese_(language)) and two [Spanish](/source/Spanish_(language)) editions.<ref name=BJ/> His other widely used textbooks included ''Practical Biochemistry'' (1930, with Frank D. White),<ref name=BMJ/> ''Biochemistry of Medicine'' (1933, with C.R. Gilmour),<ref name=BMJ/> and ''Recent Advances in Endocrinology'' (1933).<ref name=BMJ/>

In addition to his academic duties, Cameron also served as chairman of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada from 1934 to 1947,<ref name=Biography>[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alexander-thomas-cameron/ "Cameron, Alexander Thomas"], David B. Smith, ''The Canadian Encyclopedia.'' Accessed on 14 January 2011.</ref> a role for which he was awarded a [C.M.G.](/source/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George) in 1946.<ref name=BJ/><ref name=BMJ/> At various stages of his career, he was a Fellow of the [Royal Society of Canada](/source/Royal_Society_of_Canada), the president of the Canadian Institute of Chemistry, an original member of the [Biochemical Society](/source/Biochemical_Society), and secretary for the Scientific Club of Winnipeg.<ref name=BJ/>

Following a long illness, Alexander Thomas Cameron died on September 25, 1947, either at his residence in Winnipeg<ref name=BJ/> or at [Winnipeg General Hospital](/source/Winnipeg_General_Hospital).<ref name=BMJ/> He was survived by his wife, his son Alistair, and his daughter Janet.

==Personal life==
As its secretary, Cameron dedicated much of his time to the Scientific Club of Winnipeg. Cameron was a fluent reader of English, French, and German, and enjoyed reading literature.<ref name=MAJ>"Obituaries," ''Canada M.A.J.,'' Vol 57 (Nov., 1947), p504</ref> His favourite hobby was [stamp collecting](/source/stamp_collecting), a pursuit which "gave limitless scope for his methodical ways and zest for minutiae."<ref name=MAJ/>

==See also==
* [Biochemical Society](/source/Biochemical_Society)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Alex}}
Category:1882 births
Category:1947 deaths
Category:British chemists
Category:20th-century British biologists
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Academic staff of the University of Manitoba
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Category:20th-century British biochemists
Category:British emigrants to Canada
Category:20th-century Canadian biologists

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alexander Thomas Cameron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Thomas_Cameron) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Thomas_Cameron?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.