Alan Robertson

Education and early life Robertson was born in Preston, Lancashire, the second and only surviving child of John Mouat Robertson, an employee of the Post Office, and his wife Annie, née Grace, who was the younger sister of the University of Cambridge mathematician John Hilton Grace. Annie Robertson died within days of his birth, and Alan was brought up by his aunt Bessie Grace on the family farm at Halewood, near Liverpool. He was educated at Halewood village school from where he won a scholarship to the Liverpool Institute High School and kept away from administrative duties. Hill recalled that Robertson "remained informal, approachable, and 'Alan' to all. His influence was through his papers, as a scientific referee, by personal contact (particularly in his famous morning coffee group), as a conference speaker and organizer, and as an example of efficient (if not organized) hard work." His doctoral students included William G. Hill, Trudy Mackay and Paul M. Sharp.

Awards and honours Robertson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1964.

Personal life In January 1947, Robertson married Margaret Bernheim, a NABGRO colleague, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. He was a member of the Farmers Club. Robertson retired in 1985, and died in Edinburgh in 1989, aged 69.