Horace Lamb Building

Sir Horace Lamb (1849-1934) was appointment to the Elder Chair in Mathematics in 1875.  Being one of the first four professors, Lamb played a significant part in establishing the profile of the University in these formative years.  Aside from his normal teaching commitments he gave regular evening lectures open to the general public on a range of subjects that were both ‘scientific and popular’. 

As a teacher he was extremely skilled and held in high esteem.  It was with regret that after a leave of absence in Europe in 1885 he made the decision to resign, having been offered the Chair in Pure Mathematics at his old college, Owens College, Manchester.

He made significant contributions in his field of applied mathematics, was awarded some seven honorary degrees, twice elected Vice-President of the Royal Society, awarded its Royal and Copley Medals and was knighted in 1931.  In commemoration of these achievements that part of the Library Complex accommodating the Horace Lamb Lecture Theatre was named the Horace Lamb Building in his honour in 1974.

Taken from University of Adelaide Archives Information Sheet No.32