Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Hutcheon Donald | Designation: | | Born: | 7 September 1916 | Died: | 20 September 1997 | Bio Notes: | John Hutcheon Donald was born in Buckie, Banffshire on 7 September 1916, the son of William Alexander Donald, bank agent and Agnes Oliver Murray. He was brought up in Montrose and studied at the School of Architecture, Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen from September 1934 to June 1937. From August of the latter year until June 1938 he was apprenticed to John Alexander Ogg Allan. He was selected as a finalist for the Tite prize and was awarded an honarable mention in the Rowand Anderson competition.
He passed the final exam at Robert Gordon College in June 1940 and was admitted ARIBA on 12 November that year, his proposers being John Alexander Ogg Allan, James Brown Nicol and Alexander George Robertson Mackenzie; Donald had been a student member of the RIBA since 1938. By the time of his election as an Associate, he had returned to Allan's office, where he worked on the drawings for the modernist Ruthrieston Academy and Tullos Primary School.
He joined the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland as an architect and surveyor in 1941, working on farm buildings, farmhouses and civil engineering works on the Department's estates and evaluating farm-building proposals for government grant aid. He was initially posted to Wigtownshire until 1947 when he moved to Caithness and Orkney. He subsequently worked for the same Department in Aberdeenshire from 1962 to 1970 and finally in Dumfries and Galloway, where he was appointed Senior Architect and Surveyor. He remained there until his retirement in 1979, living in his house 'Dunord', Bankend Road, Dumfries, which he had designed along with its landscaped garden in 1970. He did not withdraw from his RIBA membership until November 1984 (his resignation being accepted on 1 January 1985).
Donald married Jean Hughes on 10 July 1943. They had two children; the first died in infancy in 1944 and the second, John Donald (born 1947), followed his father into the profession of architecture.
Outwith his professional life Donald had a wide range of interests. In the 1930s he played football for Montrose Roselea and cricket for Montrose's first and second elevens. He continued to play cricket into his fifties and thereafter became Match Secretary of Aberdeenshire into the later 1960s. The direction of his career gave him little opportunity to develop his architectural talents and he sought fulfillment in various personal pursuits. On his retirement he studied and obtained an Open University degree. He was also an active member of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland and the Society of Artists. Throughout his retirement he exhibited his sketches, watercolours and oil paintings.
John Hutcheon Donald died at Roxburghe House, Milltimber, Aberdeen on 20 September 1997. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Viewfield Road, Aberdeen, Scotland | Private | | 1997 | | | 112, High Street, Montrose, Angus, Scotland | Private | 1940 * | | | | Wigtownshire, Scotland | Business | 1941 | 1947 | | | Caithness/Orkney, Scotland | Business | 1947 | 1962 | | | Dept of Agriculture for Scotland/64, Princes Street, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland | Business | 1950 * | | | | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Business | 1962 | 1970 | | | Dunord, Bankend Road, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | Private | 1970 | After 1979 | | | Milltimber, Aberdeen, Scotland | Private | 1997 * | | Place of death |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | 1939 | Tullos Primary School | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Responsible for some drawings, as apprentice/assistant to John Alexander Ogg Allan | | Late 1930s | Ruthrieston School | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Modernist glazed south front onto Riverside Drive - as apprentice to John Alexander Ogg Allan |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIAS Newsletter | November 1997 | v8, no9 | | Death notice |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Information from John Donald, architect and son of John Hutcheon Donald | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no7700 (combined box 197) |
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