William Pyper (1797-1861)
William Pyper (1797-1861) set up the Pyper Bursary at the University of St Andrews in 1859. He was the son of John Pyper of Rathen, Aberdeenshire, and Christian Henderson, and he was educated at Aberdeen’s Marischal College, receiving his M.A. there in 1815 and an LL.D. in 1844. Pyper first worked as a teacher in Laurencekirk, Maybole in Ayrshire and Glasgow Grammar School between the years 1815 and 1822, and then was the the headmaster of Edinburgh High School until 1844. He became the Professor of Humanity (Scotstartvit Chair) at the Univeristy of St Andrews, a post he held until his death in 1861.