Papers of Dr. Alan W. Greenwood (1897-c.1980)

The collection is composed of: 3 copies of Greenwood's CV and work history; visitors book, 1947-1964, with various inserts; entertainment book containing notes of menus and visitors to the B.E.C.C. Environment Unit at Bush Estate, 1963-1968; postcard album of the USA; book containing publications list of staff at the Institute of Animal Genetics; notebook with growth data and notes on grafts, with some photographic inserts; collection of photographs contained in 3 folders; framed portrait (standing) of Alan W. Greenwood; portrait photograph (unmounted) of Greenwood in military coat; 2 small portraits of children; 5 degree or diploma scrolls; large scrapbook or album containing newspaper cuttings and articles about the animal research unit from its earliest days, with off-prints inserted; 3 folders containing articles by Greenwood, 1923-1974; and, 1 box of unsorted articles and off-prints relating to domestic fowl and related research.

Alan William Greenwood was born on 29 June 1897, in Melbourne, Australia. He was educated at Wesley College and then entered Melbourne University in 1915. During the First World War he served with the Australian Imperial Forces in Palestine. In 1920 he graduated with the degree of B.Sc. in Chemistry and Zoology. In 1921 he took the degree of M.Sc., and then in 1922 undertook work in cytology.

In 1923, Greenwood went abroad, coming to Britain, and intended working at Cambridge - but came to Edinburgh to the Animal Breeding Research Department on the advice of Professor Cossar Ewart.

In 1925, Greenwood graduated with degree of Ph.D. (Edinburgh), and in 1931 took the degree of D.Sc. (Melbourne). His Edinburgh thesis was submitted in three papers, on sex studies in the fowl and on the growth rate in hypophysectomised axolotls, and were entitled Gonad grafts in embryonic chicks and their relation to sexual differentiation, Gonad grafts in the fowl, and The growth rate in hypophysectomised salamander larvae. Between these two degrees, in 1927, he made an extensive tour of universities and research laboratories in Poland. In 1931 he went to the USA to study at Columbia and at Chicago. In 1932, he was awarded the Keith Prize from the Royal Society of Edinburgh for his contribution to the study of the biology of the fowl.

From 1928, Greenwood had been engaged largely on investigations into the inheritance of productive qualities. He had published widely on the domestic fowl.

Latterly, Dr. Alan William Greenwood was Director of the Poultry Research Centre, Edinburgh University.

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The biographical/administrative history was compiled using material contained in the collection:

None prepared.

Compiled by Graeme D Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections.