Dr Vivian Abrahams, 1951 Edinburgh graduate, on how enlisting for World War Two took him on a life changing journey from London to Edinburgh and onwards to Canada. Image Vivian Abrahams first arrived at Edinburgh University in 1945 but not in the conventional way. At 17 Abrahams chose to volunteer for the army late into World War Two, knowing he would be conscripted at 18 anyway. By volunteering, Vivian had a say over which arm of the service he was posted to and came with the promise of a year’s free university education through the Royal Artillery University Short Course programme. No ordinary student All major arms of service offered University Short Course programmes. The traditional training colleges such as Sandhurst were not operating and as the war became more technical, an educated military became a necessity. By offering these courses, the various arms of the military could make sure that their needs were met. Image Abrahams attended the selection board for admission to the Short Course programme on VE Day, the day that war ended in Europe, however there was still the possibility that he would be sent to fight in Japan. Thankfully, the war ended a few months later and, following demobilisation, Abrahams made the choice to return to education. As his family business had not survived the war and artillery training was not marketable, Vivian returned to Edinburgh and the good friends he had made, to take advantage of a nationally funded University education. Along with 30 or so other members of the Royal Artillery, I turned up at Edinburgh University in September 1945 as part of my training for a war that had already ended Vivian AbrahamsPhysiology BSc (1951), PhD (1955) Work and play Following his BSc, he went on to study for a PhD, which was the basis of a lasting interest in the physiology of the nervous system. In 1954 Dr Abrahams was promoted to a full lectureship (assistant professorship) in the Department of Physiology. Though academia was a large part of his time in Edinburgh, Vivian knew how to let his hair down. After a day on the rugby field, you could find him enjoying a Saturday night shuffle on the dancefloor of the Union Palais. One particular evening, after being tasked with getting the 1955 Welsh Rugby Team into the Palais (a feat which was achieved), Vivian plucked up the courage to propose to his date Pam Dance a postgraduate student he had met during his PhD. A North American move Image A move across the Atlantic beckoned and, in 1963, Vivian and Pam headed to Canada. Vivian was employed at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and tasked with the setting up of a neurophysiology lab, holding the post of Professor of Physiology from 1963 to 1995, and Head of Physiology from 1976 to 1988. Despite moving over 3000 miles west, the Edinburgh connection endured as Queen’s University was founded by Edinburgh graduates and created in the image of the University of Edinburgh. Dr Abrahams was the Chair of the Department of Physiology at Queen’s University for many years as well serving on a number of other research councils. Though he has now retired, his name lives on at Queen's with the Abrahams Award in Experimental Medicine. In retirement, Vivian and Pam, who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2015 live in Kingston, Canada and spend their winters in Australia, where Dr Abrahams had spent time as a visiting professor. It is all a long way from the Union Palais and military training for a war that had already ended. Related links BSc Physiology The Centre for Integrative Physiology Queen’s University Publication date 27 Oct, 2015
