Nicholson, Frank Carr, 1875-1962 (University Librarian, University of Edinburgh)
Biography
Nicholson was educated in Aberdeen, where his father was Professor of Natural History, and at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he took the Classical Tripos and a First in Mediaeval and Modern Languages. After graduating he joined the staff of Aberdeen University Library, followed by the Library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh before succeeding the poet and former railway surfaceman Alexander Anderson (1845-1909) as Librarian of the University of Edinburgh in 1910. A man of wide learning (Sir Herbert Grierson once said of him that he 'might have occupied several of the University Chairs with distinction'), his scholastic legacy to the library and the University were the printed catalogue of the printed books in the Library (3 volumes, 1918-1923) which was ranked with those of the British Museum, the Bibliothèque Nationale and the London Library as the four greatest European library catalogues of their day.
He served as Librarian to the University of Edinburgh, 1910-1939. His term saw the publication of the printed catalogues of the Library's collections of Western mediaeval (1923) and Oriental manuscripts (1925). On his retiral the University awarded him the honorary degree of LLD.
In 1958 Nicholson presented to the Library 24 letters of the Scottish lawyer, Whig politican and writer Francis Jeffrey (who with the Reverend Sydney Smith founded "The Edinburgh Review" in 1805. After his retirement heand his wife became friendly with the poet Walter De La Mare. In 1963 Mrs Nicholson presented to the Library over 90 letters from De La Mare to Nicholson and to Miss J. G. Sime. The Library has since acquired further letters in this correspondence.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Letter of 12 February 1936 to F. C. Nicholson, 12 February 1936
Letter of 12 February 1936 to F. C. Nicholson. Typescript. 12 February 1936. Inglis, Harry R. G., 1868-1939, Author; Nicholson, Frank Carr, 1875-1962, Addressee.
Note: Letter from Inglis discussing Coll-10/7/25.
Librarian's correspondence (Nicholson and Sharp), 1931-1952
Incoming correspondence received by the University Librarian. The series covers the end of the peiod of office of Franck Carr Nicholson and most of that of Lauriston William Sharp.rank Carr Nicholson.
Portrait photograph of Frank Carr Nicholson, 1936
A series of photographs of administrative and academic staff and others.
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- Correspondence 1
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