This biography, written by J J O’Connor and E F Robertson, has been republished with permission from the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
Born: 28 February 1894, United Kingdom
Died: Unknown
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: NA
Agnes Scott’s father was William Scott and her mother was Harriet Scott. She had two older siblings Isabella H Scott and Annabell C Scott; three younger siblings Muriel E Scott, William B Scott and Agnes M Scott.
She entered Dunoon Grammar School in 1900 when she was six years old. After five years at the school she then attended Boroughmuir Higher Grade School, Edinburgh, for seven years. She took the Leaving Certificate examinations and passed Drawing and Science at the Lower level in April 1912 and, at the same sitting, English, Latin, French, and Mathematics at Higher grade. After having passed the Preliminary Examination, Scott first matriculated at Edinburgh University in October 1912.
During her first two sessions at university she studied Ordinary level courses, Mathematics (the First Ordinary she took in 1912-13 was taught by David Gibb, the Second Ordinary in 1913-14 by David Gibb and John Urquhart), Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, and Education. She then took Honours courses in Mathematics (the Intermediate Honours course she took in 1914-15 was taught by Lester R Ford and David Gibb) and Natural Philosophy and graduated in 1917 with an M.A. with Third Class Honours in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and a B.Sc. (Pure).
Before graduating, Scott joined the Edinburgh Mathematical Society in January 1917. She gave her address as Argyle Cottage, Liberton, the same as she had given when she matriculated at Edinburgh University, and clearly her family address. By 1923 she was teaching in Singapore, giving her address as Raffles Girls’ School, Bras Basah Road, Singapore. She left the Society around 1932.
She married George Waddell on 17 August 1929 at the Presbyterian Church, Singapore and she arrived back in London on 15 June 1936.