Gordon Donaldson

Who was Gordon Donaldson?

Gordon Donaldson CBE, FRHistS, FBA was a Scottish historian.

Born in Edinburgh of Shetlander descent, Donaldson attended the Royal High School of Edinburgh, before being awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Edinburgh. He also supplemented his income by undertaking some tutoring. After graduating in 1935 with a first-class Honours Degree in History, he gained his PhD in 1938 at the Institute of Historical Research in London, where he also won the David Berry Prize from the Royal Historical Society. Donaldson also has a DLitt degree.

After working as an archivist at the General Register Office for Scotland 1938-1947, he was appointed to a lectureship in Scottish History at his alma mater in Edinburgh - largely through the offices of William Croft Dickinson. This marked the beginning of Donaldson's 32-year academic career at Edinburgh.

He served as a Reader from 1955, before succeeding Dickinson as Professor of Scottish History and Palaeography in 1963, which he held until his retirement in 1979. During his academic career, Professor Donaldson wrote or co-wrote over thirty books, and numerous articles and addresses. He also served at various times as President of the Scottish Ecclesiological Society, the Scottish Church History Society, the Scottish History Society, the Scottish Record Society, the Scottish Records Association, and the Stair Society.