Born: 1879 in Inverkip, Renfrew, Scotland

Died: 2 April 1946 in Burnside, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Dougald McQuistan's father was Alexander McQuistan (born in Greenock about 1840) who was a baker. His mother was Agnes Leitch (born in Rothesay about 1843). He had several siblings: Archibald (born about 1869), Agnes (born about 1873), Elizabeth (born about 1878), Alexandra (born about 1886), and Alexander (born about 1888).

Dougald McQuistan was educated at Whitehill School, Glasgow, completing his secondary education there in 1896. On 11 December 1895 it was announced in The Scotsman:-

Dougald McQuistan and Peter Ramsay, two students of the secondary department of Whitehill Public School, Glasgow, have been awarded by the Science and Art Department "Queen's Prizes" to mathematics.

After winning a Marshall Bursary, he entered the University of Glasgow in the same year and, after obtaining honours in Greek and Latin in April 1899, he graduated M.A. with First Class Honours in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy two years later. He continued his studies being awarded a B.Sc. with Special Distinction in Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, and Astronomy in 1903. He then went to Cambridge where he undertook research in the Cavendish Laboratory for three years 1904-06. During this period he held a Carnegie Research Fellowship.

Returning to Glasgow, McQuistan was appointed to the Natural Philosophy Department of the Royal Technical College from 1906 to 1912. He then taught mathematics at schools in Glasgow, first Whitehill School, then Allen Glen's School, and finally The High School. In 1925 he was appointed Associate Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. He was promoted to Professor in 1938, holding the position until he retired in 1942.

McQuistan was a member of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, joining in December 1908. He was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 7 March 1921, his proposers being Andrew Gray, George Alexander Gibson, James Gordon Gray, Robert Alexander Houstoun.

1. R O Street, Dougald Black McQuistan, M.A., B.Sc., Royal Society of Edinburgh Year Book 1947, 23-24.