Bower, Frederick Orpen (1855-1948)

English botanist responsible for building the first Botanical Institute at Glasgow University. His research included a study of the evolutionary morphology (physical structure and form) of the Pteridophyta (a simple type of vascular plant that does not bear seeds) and he wrote several books on primitive land plants.

Frederick Bower was born in Ripon. While he was at school at Repton, he began to study botany and decided to make it his life's work. When he read natural sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was able to study botany, which had recently been introduced by S H Vines. He obtained a first-class degree 1877 and went to Würzburg, where he learned laboratory techniques from Julius Sachs. In 1879, he went to study in Strasbourg, returning to London 1880. He became a lecturer 1882 under T H Huxley.

In 1885, he was appointed to the chair of botany in Glasgow University. While he was there he built the first British botanical Institute. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 1891 and was awarded its Gold medal 1910 and the Darwin Medal 1935. He was president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1919-24.