William Douglas Simpson (1896-1968) was Librarian and Clerk and Registrar of the General Council in the University of Aberdeen from 1926 - 1966. He was born in Aberdeen on 2 Aug 1896, son of H.F. Morland Simpson, Rector of Aberdeen Grammar School, and graduated from Aberdeen University, MA 1919 (first class honours) and DLitt 1924. He was appointed Assistant in History there, 1919 - 1920, Lecturer in British History, 1920 - 1926, and later, held the honorary positions of Rhind Lecturer in Archaeology (1941) and Dalrymple Lecturer in Archaeology (1950, Glasgow). He was an exceptionally popular extra-mural lecturer.
He directed excavations at Kildrummy Castle, 1919 - 1939; Coull Castle, 1923; Kindrochit Castle; 1925 - 1927; Doune of Invernochty, 1935; Esslemont Castle, 1938; Dundarg Castle, 1950 - 1951; and Finavon Castle, 1952 - 1953, and wrote numerous books and articles based on this and other research, through which he became well known as an authority on the castellated architecture of Scotland and Scandinavia. He held several appointments in relation to this work, including chairman of the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland; member of the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland; secretary of the Third Spalding Club (1928 - 1956); member of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Advisory Board and Scottish Records Advisory Council, 1938 - 1955. He received an LL D from Aberdeen University in 1960, and was awarded an OBE in 1954 and CBE in 1962.
For details of his work and list of publications see Who was Who, 1961 - 1970, and A.T. Hall, A Bibliography of W. Douglas Simpson 1896-1968, in W.D. Simpson, . Dunollie Castle and the Brooch of Lorne (Aberdeen: Centre for Scottish Studies, University of Aberdeen, 1991). See also, appreciation and obituary in Aberdeen University Review 42 (1967-1968), 247 - 254; and 43 (1969-1970), 24 - 27
From the guide to the Papers of William Douglas Simpson (1896-1968) historian and archaeologist, 20th century, (University of Aberdeen)
