William Robertson Smith seated reading a newspaper. Born 1846, admitted as a Fellow in 1885. 1870 to 1881 Professor of Oriental languages and Old Testament in Free Church Aberdeen. Removed due to critical views on Old Testament. Travelled in Egypt, Syria and Palestine 1878-9. Edited the 9th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1883 became Professor of Arabic at Trinity till he moved to Christ's in 1885. 1886 resigned chair and became the University librarian until 1889 when he took up the Sir Thomas Adams chair in Arabic. He died in 1894. He bequeathed his magnificent collection of oriental books to the College Library.
