TIMES PAST

1Helen Cargill Thompson’s love of art began at Kelvingrove when she was a little girl growing up in Glasgow. Her family had come to the city from Burma just before the outbreak of World War II when Helen was six years old. She worked initially as a research scientist after graduating from St Andrews University with a degree in physiology and pharmacology in the 1950s, and a PhD at Edinburgh University with research into the contraceptive pill.

2Dr Thompson switched from science to librarianship, becoming a librarian and then head of the Reference and Information Division at Strathclyde until her retirement 30 years later in 1999. She was awarded a medal for services to Librarianship by the Princess Royal in London.

Dr Thompson, who was affectionately known as HCT, started collecting art in 1985 and it was to become a lifelong passion, during which she supported young and emerging artists. She donated almost 1000 artworks to Strathclyde University and in 2000 her collection was valued at £250,000. Alongside her focus on art was her commitment to many charities and university committees.

34She was treasurer of the Scottish Pakistani Association and former president of the Graduates’ Association of Strathclyde University. At 73, and treasurer of charity Education International, she went to Bangladesh where she audited the library of UttarBangla University College, which the charity had built to enable the poor, especially girls, to receive tertiary education. Seeing the derelict historic Raj Building in the college ground, she funded its renovation.

Dr Thompson left her house and contents to the National Trust for Scotland. One painting recently sold for almost £500,000 at auction. She left her silver to Glasgow School of Art’s silversmithing department.

5

Helen Cargill Thompson, and left, John William Godward’s Poppies, which Cargill owned, was estimated to fetch between £100,000 to £150,000 at auction but instead sold for almost half a million pounds