View source for Douglas M. C. MacEwan

{{Short description|Scottish physicist and x-ray crystallographer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Douglas MacLean Clark MacEwan''' [[FRSE]] (1917–2000) was a Scottish physicist and x-ray crystallographer.
==Life==
He was born in [[Edinburgh]] on 20 June 1917 during the height of the [[First World War]]. He studied Science at [[Edinburgh University]] from 1933 under Dr [[Arnold Beevers]] and graduated MA BSc.
In 1941 he obtained a doctorate (PhD) from Edinburgh<ref>{{Cite journal |last=MacEwan |first=Douglas MacLean Clark |date=1941 |title=A machine for the rapid summation of Fourier series ; An X-ray investigation of sulphuric acid monohydrate |url=https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/35007 |language=en}}</ref> and took up a position as a soil engineer at the [[Macaulay Institute]] in [[Aberdeen]]. Here he began his lifelong connection with x-ray crystallography (mainly of soil and clay) and also became a lifelong friend of his colleague DR Robert MacKenzie.  In 1946 he moved to [[Rothamsted Research|Rothansted Experimental Station]] in [[Hertfordshire]] under Sir [[William Gammie Ogg]]. In 1947 he founded the Clay Minerals Group.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/macewan_douglas.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=24 June 2017 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008175521/https://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/macewan_douglas.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1954 he left Britain to work in [[Spain]] to work with Dr Juan Vivaldi on clay research in Granada. Here he worked with Vivaldi Girela Vilchez, Cano Ruiz and Rausell Colon on clay minerals. MacEwan loved the lifestyle in Spain and considered it the happiest time of his life.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/macewan_douglas.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=24 June 2017 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008175521/https://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/macewan_douglas.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1959 he returned to Britain as senior lecturer in physics at the [[University of Dundee|Queen's College, Dundee]], which later became the University of Dundee, but which was then part of the [[University of St Andrews]]. In 1960 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were Sir [[William Gammie Ogg]], [[George Dawson Preston]], [[Arnold Beevers]], [[Alexander B. Stewart]] and [[James Paton (meteorologist)|James Paton]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=24 June 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Pining for Spain, he returned there in 1964 as a researcher in the Chemistry Department of the [[Universidad Complutense de Madrid|University of Madrid]] under Prof {{ill|Enrique Gutierrez Rios|es}}. In 1967 his wanderlust continued and he moved with his family to [[County Waterford]] in southern Ireland to set up his own printing company: Volturna Press.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/macewan_douglas.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=24 June 2017 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008175521/https://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/macewan_douglas.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He died on 12 March 2000 in [[Hythe, Kent|Hythe]] in [[Kent]].
==References==
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[[Category:1917 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Scientists from Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Scottish physicists]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Dundee]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of St Andrews]]
[[Category:British crystallographers]]
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