WHEN Glasgow's Lord Provost, Sir Patrick Dollan, received the very first St Mungo Prize in 1939, in recognition of his services to the city, only a tiny handful of well-connected people knew the identity of the man behind the award.

War-time conditions meant that the next award, in December 1942, had to be postponed, but even when it went ahead the following year, the donor still remained anonymous.

It was only when Alexander Somerville died in August 1949, aged 77, that he was revealed to have been the donor behind the prize. A wealthy if self-effacing Glasgow businessman, he had made it a condition of the prize that his identity not be revealed until the day of his death.

The two winners after Sir Patrick were Dr Tom Honeyman (1943) and Sir William Burrell (1946). The award - £1,000, and a gold medal - was initially made every three years, then every two years. Later winners included Sir Alexander Gibson (1970), Sir Samuel Curran (1976), Lord Provost Susan Baird (1991), Giles Havergal (1994) and Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden (2004). The last winner, in 2010, was Professor Sir John Arbuthnott.

Now, after a gap of six years, the prize is returning, and nominees are being sought.

Mr Somerville, a bachelor, had retired early thanks to the success of his footwear business. He indulged his love of painting and travel - he was a keen member of the Glasgow Art Club, and a gifted amateur watercolourist - before establishing the award.

"The conception and anonymity of the Prize were characteristic of the donor," read the 1949 obituary in the Glasgow Herald. "It was the tangible expression of a deeply felt desire to help in the advancement of his native city in beauty and amenities and in the wellbeing of her people."

When Mr Somerville died in 1949 he was replaced as one of the award's "Selectors" by Thomas Knox, his step-nephew; when Mr Knox himself passed away in 1973, his son, Sandy, took his place.

Sandy Knox was born in July 1949 and by a quirk of fate, one of Mr Somerville's last journeys, the month before his death, was to pay a visit to the infant.

He said: "The prize recognises the person who has done most for the citizens of Glasgow within the previous two years. The criteria include beautifying the city, improving its culture, or the environment, or citizens' well-being, and bringing Glasgow to honourable prominence."

He added: "The Selectors as established by Mr Somerville were the 'great and the good' of Glasgow, including the head of the Trades House, the head of Glasgow University and the Lord Provost. They invited five Named Selectors, whom it was felt might have something to contribute.

"My dad found Uncle Alex a hugely inspirational figure and someone who really did practise what he preached. He was a very modest man who valued his privacy and laid great store in personal integrity.

"The Selectors would like to make an award in January, and what we really want to say to people is that the St Mungo Prize is back up and running. We would like Glasgow organisations to consider the prize at their next committee meeting and perhaps set about making a nomination of someone who has genuinely done much for the city."

Glasgow's Lord Provost, Sadie Docherty said: "I'm delighted to be involved in choosing a candidate for the St Mungo prize. It's a wonderful way to recognise an individual who has demonstrated commitment to this city. I'm looking forward to the nominations and learning about people who help make Glasgow a great city. "

The new prize winner will choose the subject of the St Mungo Lecture, which will take in February or March.

* Nominations should be sent to the award’s trustee, Paul Hearn, Head of Trustee Services, Mazars LLP, 90 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5UB., by October 28. Email: paul.hearn@mazars.co.uk. Anyone wishing to clarify conditions for nominations can contact him on 0141-225 4926.