William Macdonald

William James Macdonald FRSE was born on 14 December 1851 in Scotland. He is known for being a pioneer of the introduction of modern geometry to the mathematical curriculum in schools and for being one of the founding members of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society.

Biography Macdonald was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, but moved to the coastal town of St Andrews when he was young. and became dux of the college in 1868. While there Macdonald won many prizes, including the Miller prize given to the student who did the best work in 1870, 1871, and 1872, the Gray prize in 1872 for an essay on spectrum analysis, and the Arnott prize, also in 1872. '' a text which was widely used in schools and colleges to teach geometry.

On the 1st of February 1886, he accepted a fellowship to the Royal Society of Edinburgh after being proposed by William Swan, John Sturgeon Mackay, George Chrystal, and Sir Thomas Muir.

In June 1914, he was offered the degree of LL.D by the Senatus Academicus of the University of St Andrews, but he respectfully declined the honour.