Thomas Logie MacDonald explained

Thomas Logie MacDonald FRSE FRAS (1901–1973) was a Scottish astronomer and politician, and eponym of lunar crater McDonald.

He was a graduate of Glasgow University, and became secretary and chairman of the West of Scotland branch of the British Astronomical Association. From 1929 to 1931 he served as President of the West of Scotland Branch of the British Astronomical Association.^[1]

He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 5 March 1928.^[2] His proposers were Hector Copland Macpherson, Ralph Allan Sampson, Ludwig Becker and Edward Taylor Jones. He resigned from the Society in 1961.

From 1938 he served as Director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association, serving throughout the Second World War until 1946.^[3] At this time he lived at 9 Colebrooke Terrace in Glasgow.^[4]

MacDonald was a Labour councillor and Mayor of Carlisle from May 1961 to 1962. The Carlisle/Flensburg (Germany) town twinning relationship was established during his mayoral term.^[5]

Publications

• Astronomy for Adult Classes (1932)
• Studies in Lunar Statistics^[6]
• The Depression of Lunar Craters (1942)
• The Astronomer as Historical Detective (lecture)

References

• Web site: Clan Donald Magazine No 2 (1962) . 24 March 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927025648/http://www.clandonald.org.uk/cdm02/cdm02a13.htm . 27 September 2007 . dead . dmy-all . .

Notes and References

1. 1947MmBAA..36C..55K . The History of the British Astronomical Association. Part 2. The Branches and Sections. . Memoirs of the British Astronomical Association . 36 . 55 . 1947 . Kelly, Howard L. . Gale, W. F. . Evershed, M. A. . Porthouse, William . Ryves, P. M. . Peek, B. M. . Davidson, M. . Prentice, J. P. M. . Kellaway, G. F. . Housman, W. B. . Porter, J. G. . Reade, Vera .
2. Book: Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783–2002: Part 2 (K–Z) . C D Waterston . A Macmillan Shearer . . 090219884X . July 2006 . 13 February 2022.
3. Return to the Far Side of Planet Moore: Martin Mobberley
4. Minutes of the Meetings of the BAA 1938
5. Web site: Untitled Document . 2006-03-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050410035449/http://www.carlisletwins.org.uk/eng/08_dele.htm . 10 April 2005 . dmy-all .
6. Web site: Thomas Logie MacDonald, Director: 1938-1946 . . 5 September 2019 . 16 April 2017.