Sir Hector James Wright Hetherington (1888-1965) was born July 1888, in Cowdenbeath, Scotland. He grew up in Tillicoultry, and was educated at Dollar Academy, before entering Glasgow University in 1905. He studied classics, philosophy, and later economics, graduating M.A. with honours in 1907. He had intended to become a minister of the United Free Church, but was persuaded by Sir Henry Jones, Professor of moral philosophy, to become his assistant.

In 1914, he left Glasgow to take up the post of Lecturer in philosophy, at Sheffield University. He only stayed in Sheffield a year, before accepting the Chair of philosophy at Cardiff. In 1920, he was appointed Principal of the Royal Albert Memorial College, Exeter. Under Hetherington's guidance, the College was reconstituted as the University College of the South West of England, and put on the grant list of the University Grants Committee. This set the College on the path to full status as the University of Exeter in 1955. He also oversaw an improvement in the College's financial position, and an expansion of the College campus. There was a similar expansion in teaching facilities, with a new department in Adult Education, and investment in the Law department.

In 1924, Hetherington accepted the post of Professor of moral philosophy at Glasgow University. However his stay at Glasgow was short, and in 1927, he moved to Liverpool to become Vice-Chancellor of the University. During his nine years at Liverpool University, his main concern was the extension of the Library and the Students Union. Financial problems meant that other expansion projects had to be put on hold. The Union extension was completed in 1935. Hetherington did not see the Library extension completed but his fund raising was vital to the project, and he received the gift of £100,000 for the extension, the largest donation that the University had received. Hetherington also saw the School of Architecture rehoused, and the planning for a new gymnasium and Organic Chemistry Laboratory was started. He also steered the University into calmer financial waters with a significant reduction of the University's capital debt.

In 1936, Hetherington was appointed Principal of Glasgow University, a post he would hold for the rest of his career. The University had suffered a period of contraction and financial stagnation during the depression years, and the new Principal would have to deal with the needs and difficulties brought about by the Second World War. Nevertheless, Hetherington tackled the need for new buildings with typical energy, and aided by a building grant from the University Grants Committee, saw the completion of the Student's Reading Room. This was just the beginning, and over the course of his term of office, Glasgow saw an impressive program of expansion. This included a new Engineering building, buildings for Surgery and for Virology, a building for Modern Languages, the Stevenson building, a Veterinary Hospital, extensions to the Anatomy and Zoology departments, and reconstruction of parts of the main building to give better accommodation to the departments of Mathematics, Political Economy, and Geography, as well as to the University offices. Plans were also drawn up for two Halls of Residence, a Refectory, a Mathematics building, a new Queen Margaret Union, the Adam Smith building, a Genetics building, and a new Library.

Hetherington also introduced improvements to the teaching facilities of the University with many new Chairs, new departments of non-professorial standing, and additional teaching staff in all departments. He brought in a new policy for hiring staff, to ensure the best people were found, and encouraged the setting up of training schemes to address the problem of a lack of highly trained technical staff in scientific departments.

Hetherington encouraged the students to play a full part in University life, regularly visiting the Freshers camp, the OTC, and the Halls of Residence, and supporting the work of the Graduates Association in linking graduates clubs throughout the world. He also oversaw the University's fifth centenary celebrations. He was a member of various committees, and was Chairman of the Committee of Principals and Vice-Chancellors, of the Colonial University Grants Committee, and of the Commission on the Royal University of Malta.

He retired in 1961, and died suddenly in London, 15 January 1965.

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1907: M.A. University of Glasgow

1915-1920: Professor of philosophy, Cardiff University

1920-1924: Principal, Royal Albert Memorial College, Exeter

1924-1927: Professor of moral philosophy, University of Glasgow

1927: LL.D.

1927-1936: Vice-Chancellor, Liverpool University

1936: Knighthood

1936-1961: Principal, University of Glasgow

1948: K.B.E.

1961: Freedom of the city of Glasgow

1962: G.B.E.

List of sources for the biographical information:

Hutcheson, Robert T., Hector Hetherington 1888-1965, The College Courant, Vol.18, No.34 Glasgow, University of Glasgow, 1965)