George Lawson

George Lawson

George Lawson, botanist (b at Logan, Scot 12 Oct 1827; d at Halifax 10 Nov 1895). Lawson studied natural and physical sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Assistant secretary and curator for the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, he also worked in Britain's first biological laboratory. Lawson became professor of chemistry and natural history at Queen's in 1858. He founded the Botanical Society of Canada in 1860 and published its Annals until 1863. That year he became professor of chemistry and mineralogy at Dalhousie.

He was secretary of the NS Board of Agriculture 1864-85, secretary of agriculture for NS from 1885 to 1896 and a charter member of the Royal Society of Canada (1882). In 1891 he founded the Botanical Club of Canada under RSC auspices. As Canada's first professional botanist, Lawson greatly influenced the fields of study of amateur Canadian BOTANY, as well as agricultural and science education policy in NS.