D. K. C. MacDonald facts for kids

David Keith Chalmers MacDonald (born July 24, 1920 – died July 28, 1963) was a Scottish scientist. He was a physicist who studied metals and extremely cold temperatures. People often call him one of the main founders of modern cryogenics, which is the study of very low temperatures.

A special talk, the MacDonald Memorial Lecture, is held at the University of Manitoba to remember him. He was known as D. K. C. MacDonald in his writings, but his friends called him Keith MacDonald.

About Keith MacDonald

Keith MacDonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 24, 1920. His father, George MacDonald, was an engineer. In 1933, his family moved to Edinburgh.

He went to Edinburgh Academy for high school. After that, he studied physics at the University of Edinburgh. He continued his studies at the University of Oxford, where he earned a special degree called a doctorate (PhD). This degree means he did a lot of advanced research.

During the Second World War, Keith MacDonald served in the REME, which was a part of the British Army. He worked as an instructor at the Military College of Science.

In 1950, he moved to Canada. There, he became the Director of the Cryogenic Laboratory in Ottawa. This lab focused on studying things at very low temperatures.

Keith MacDonald was recognized for his important scientific work. In 1954, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a big honor for scientists in Scotland. Later, in 1960, he also became a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, which is a very old and respected scientific group. In Canada, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

The University of Ottawa gave him an honorary professorship, which is like a special teaching title, not long before he passed away. He died in Ottawa on July 28, 1963, from a rare illness that affected his brain.

His Family

Keith MacDonald married Moira Lawrie. She was his teenage sweetheart and lived next door to him in Edinburgh.