Hamilton Grammar School is a secondary school serving the town of Hamilton and other areas of South Lanarkshire. Situated in central Hamilton, Scotland, its predecessors can trace their history back to the year 1452. The introduction of comprehensive schooling in the early 1970s led to the merging of St. John's Grammar School with Hamilton Academy to form a comprehensive school called Hamilton Grammar School. Famous former pupils of Hamilton Grammar or its predecessor schools include the economist (Sir) Alexander Cairncross, the politician Margo MacDonald, the novelist Robin Jenkins, the motoring writer James Currie, the product designer Philip Ross (SafeHinge), pioneer photographer James Craig Annan, doctor and chemist William Cullen, and former Scotland, Rangers and Motherwell player, the late Davie Cooper. Hamilton Academy gave its name to Hamilton Academical F.C., the football club, which was founded in 1874 by the Rector and pupils. The current Hamilton Grammar building was built in 1913 as the Hamilton Academy building. The building underwent an £8 million improvement in 1995, when the original building was retained and fully renovated, with an additional building extension attached to rear. The new building contains science and technical facilities. In 2004, a communicational disorders unit was added to the school. A new Physical Education centre is to be built at the rear of the school. Building has started and is to be finished by May 2009 ( however this is unlikely ). This will replace the old Physical Education department which is at the back of St John's Primary School.
