Adam Gowans Whyte
Adam Gowans Whyte | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 August 1875 |
| Died | 31 July 1950 (aged 74) |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
| Occupations |
|
| Employer | Rationalist Press Association |
| Spouse | Kate E. Whyte |
Adam Gowans Whyte (1 August 1875 – 31 July 1950)[1][2][3] was a Scottish journalist, author, and translator.[4] He was a well-known scientific journalist and regular contributor to the freethought press, and was a founder of the Rationalist Press Association.[5]
Life
[edit]Adam Gowans Whyte was born in Scotland in 1875, the seventh of nine children.[2][4] His father, a dentist, died when he was twelve years old.[4] He studied at Allan Glen's School, Glasgow, before attending the University of Glasgow in 1895.[2]
Whyte moved to London in 1898, where he earned a living as a journalist.[4]
Rationalist Press Association
[edit]In 1899, Whyte co-founded the Rationalist Press Association (RPA).[4] One of its original directors, he remained one until his death in 1950.[4][5][1]
In 1930, Whyte began contributing a section called "The Open Window" to the beginning of each issue of the RPA's Literary Guide under the pseudonym "Protonius".[4] He was later appointed Literary Advisor, earning a salary of £4000 a year, and played a significant role in selecting titles for Watts & Co. and their Thinker's Library until his death.[4]
Whyte also edited various electrical publications.[2] From 1901 until his retirement, he was editor of the Electrical Industries journal.[4]
Death
[edit]Whyte was the last surviving founder of the Rationalist Press Association.[1] He died suddenly on 31 July 1950.[1][6] Whyte was cremated on 3 August 1950 at Golders Green Crematorium, where the secular service was led by C. Bradlaugh Bonner.[1]
Selected bibliography
[edit]- Electricity in Locomotion, an account of its mechanism, its achievements and its prospects (1911)
- The Religion of the Open Mind (1913)
- The Natural History of Evil (1920)
- Stanley Baldwin: a biographical character study (1926)
- Forty years of electrical progress; the story of the G.E.C. (1930)
- Anthology of Errors (1940)
- The Danger of Being an Atheist (1940)
- Why Worry about Religion? A question for the new generation (1946)
- The story of the R.P.A., 1899-1949 (1949)
- The Ladder of Life: from molecule to mind (1951)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Adam Gowans Whyte: In Tribute". The Literary Guide. September 1950. p. 192.
- ^ a b c d "Adam Gowans Whyte | Science Museum Group Collection". collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ "Adam Gowans Whyte (1875-1950)". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Cooke, Bill (2004). The gathering of infidels : a hundred years of the Rationalist Press Association. Internet Archive. Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-1-59102-196-4.
- ^ a b Stein, Gordon (1981). Freethought in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth : a descriptive bibliography. Internet Archive. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-20869-0.
- ^ "Deaths". The Times. 2 August 1950. p. 1.