| Maxwell Irvine | |
| Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham | |
| Term Start: | 1996 |
| Term End: | 2001 |
| Predecessor: | Sir Michael Thompson |
| Successor: | Sir Michael Sterling |
| Title2: | Principal of the University of Aberdeen |
| Term Start2: | 1991 |
| Term End2: | 1996 |
| Predecessor2: | George Paul McNicol |
| Successor2: | Sir Duncan Rice |
| Birth Date: | 28 February 1939 |
| Birth Place: | Morningside, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Death Place: | Coniston, Cumbria, England |
| Education: | George Heriot's School |
| Alma Mater: | University of Edinburgh (MA) University of Michigan (MSc) University of Manchester (PhD) |
| Profession: | Theoretical physicist, university administrator |
John Maxwell Irvine (28 February 1939 – 24 March 2012) was a British theoretical physicist and university administrator, who served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham and the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the Aberdeen.[1]
Maxwell Irvine became Professor of Theoretical Physics at Manchester University in 1983 and Dean of Science at Manchester in 1989. Irvine was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen from 1991 to 1996. He was Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham University from 1996 to 2001. Irvine served as chairman of the nuclear physics committee of the Science Research Council and vice-president of the Institute of Physics. He was a director of the Public Health Laboratory Service. During the 1997 general election campaign, while he was Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham University, Irvine introduced Tony Blair before his keynote "education, education, education" speech.[2] However three years later Irvine published an open letter to Prime Minister Blair, criticising the government's policies towards universities.[2] Irvine married Grace Ritchie in 1962 and had a son. His hobby was hill-walking.[1]