Cowdenbeath - Notable People

Notable People

Alumni of Beath High School include:

  • Nobel Prize winner, Sir James Black, whose work is behind the drug Ranitidine. In an excerpt from his autobiography, Sir James is quoted as saying: "The imprinting mathematical influence was Dr Waterson at Beath High School, a brilliant and rumbustious teacher, who more or less man-handled me into sitting the competitive entrance examination for St Andrews University."
  • Jennie Lee, Baroness Lee of Asheridge, attended Beath High School. She graduated from Edinburgh University and worked as a teacher in Cowdenbeath before being adopted the ILP candidate for the North Lanarkshire constituency, which she won at a 1929 by-election, becoming the youngest member of the House of Commons. A member of Harold Wilson's government of 1964, she was influential in the creation of the Open University. Her father was manager of the Crown Hotel at the north end of the High Street, which was destroyed by fire on 13 May 2009. Her husband was Aneurin Bevan MP.
  • Another noteworthy student of Beath was James Curran Baxter, or "Slim Jim" Baxter, one of Scotland's most prolific football players. A statue commemorating Jim Baxter can be found in adjacent Hill of Beath, his home village, outside the working men's club.
  • Ian Rankin, the author of the Inspector Rebus novels also attended Beath High School.
  • Dennis Canavan, the Scottish politician and Member of Parliament for Falkirk West was born in Cowdenbeath in 1942 and attended St Brides Primary School.
  • Tom Gourdie, 1913-2005, calligrapher and artist, born and raised in Cowdenbeath.
  • Harry Ewing (Baron Ewing of Kirkford) was born in Cowdenbeath in 1931. Son to miner, William Ewing, Harry served as a Member of Parliament for 21 years before being made a life peer.
  • Donald Findlay QC, born in Cowdenbeath on March 17, 1951 is a well known senior advocate and Queen's Counsel in Scotland. He has also held positions as a vice chairman of Rangers Football Club and twice Rector of the University of St Andrews. He is now the chairman of Cowdenbeath FC.
  • Scott Brown attended Beath High School. He was born in Dunfermline on 25 June 1985 and has played for Hibernian, Celtic and Scotland.
  • Tom Kellichan, drummer of punk rock band The Skids from 1977 to 1980, lived there.
  • Illustrator William McLaren (1923–1987) attended Beath High School.

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