Donald Esme Innes FRSE MC was a 20th century Scottish geologist.

Life

Born Donald Esme Isaacs on 22 November 1888 to Donald Isaacs and Anne Isaacs (formerly Stewart) in Clifton, Bristol. He was bought up by Annie and Catherine Isaacson in Oxford from a very early age. He went to Repton and studied Sciences at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

and graduated in 1911 with 1st class honours, specialising in Geology. He was awarded the Burden Coutts scholarship for post-graduate work and he later became Professor of Geology at

St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

. He won the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He gained his hockey blue while a student at Oxford and played for St Andrews university from 1920 to 1924. He played for Scotland from 1922 to 1924 and captained the side in 1923 and 1924. In June 1924 he changed his name by Deed poll to Donald Esme Innes. At this time he was living at 23 Lathbury Road in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. In 1925 he married Lilian Grace Isaacson, and they had one son, Donald John, born in 1932. In 1936 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were

Thomas James Jehu Thomas John Jehu (19 February 1871 – 18 July 1943) was a British physician and geologist. The Jehu-Campbell Fossil Collection at the University of Edinburgh was donated by Jehu in combination with Robert Campbell and is now the main component ...

, Sir

D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson CB FRS FRSE (2 May 1860 – 21 June 1948) was a Scottish biologist, mathematician and classics scholar. He was a pioneer of mathematical and theoretical biology, travelled on expeditions to the Bering Strait ...

, Robert Campbell and Robert Meldrum Craig. . He resigned from the Society in 1953. He died on 28 May 1961.

Publications

*''The Mineralogy of Scotland'' (1923) co-written with Matthew Forster Heddle

References

Scottish geologists Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Oxford Academics of the University of St Andrews 20th-century Scottish Jews 1961 deaths 1888 births {{UK-geologist-stub