(30 June 1894-8 Feb. 1990), scientist. (D. J. MacLeod, Donald J. MacLeod; to his GC relatives at least, known as “Dannie John” or “Danny John” ) Born in GC, at a place stated in printed sources as Dunvegan, but which was probably Lot 6 in the 9th Concession of Kenyon Township. Parents: John Donald MacLeod and his wife Anne Isabella MacLeod. This couple farmed for many years on the lot just named, before moving about 1919 to live in retirement at the Glengarry County border village of McCrimmon, in a large frame house (still one of McCrimmon’s principal buildings) which they had built on the northwest side of the intersection. For this house, see the note in the entry for William D. MacLeod (d.1936). Dannie John’s first language was Gaelic. He attended a local primary school and Alexandria High School, before attending Queen’s University (B. A., 1921, M. A., 1923). In 1924, he was appointed officer in charge of the Dominion Plant Pathological Laboratory at Fredericton, N. B. In 1936-1939 he was a researcher at the Virus Research Station, Cambridge, England, and was at this time also a research fellow at Cambridge University. He received his Ph. D. from Cambridge University in 1944 in the subject of plant viruses.

     In 1948, his position was described as that of pathologist-in-charge, Dominion Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Dominion Dept. of Agriculture, at Fredericton, N. B., and he was described as having held this position since 1924. Of this laboratory he remained officer in charge until 1959. He was the author of a number of scientific papers on plant viruses. In 1956 he headed a Canadian government mission to Venezuela to advise on agricultural problems, and in 1957 he was a consultant on lily diseases to the government of Bermuda. In retirement, he acted as law librarian 1962-1977 for the Barristers Society of New Brunswick. United Church elder; Mason. He collected historical books, and was an organizer in 1926 of the Fredericton Society of St. Andrew pipe band, and was active in other Fredericton societies. In 1979 he moved to Nelson, B. C. He died in the Kootenay Lake District Hospital, Nelson, B. C., aged 95. He was married to Hazel Aldeen Parks. (one child) He was the nephew of William D. MacLeod (d.1936), and a first cousin of Johnny Archie MCRIMMON, the storekeeper at McCrimmon, and of Dr John Grant MacLeod.

     For another plant scientist, see Norman Alexander MacRae.

Glengarry News 28 Feb. 1990, QAR May/June 1990 * Who’s Who in the Agricultural Institute of Canada (1948) 125 * Lochinvar to Skye 259-262, 274 (with portrait), 295-296 * MacLeods, i, 282, ii, 351-352 * Neatby, II, 69 (group portrait) * obituary of his sister Margaret (Mrs Cameron MacLeod), GN 26 June 1985 * Ella S. G. Minter, ed., Publications of the Canada Department of Agriculture 1867-1959 (Ottawa, 1963): index * anecdote, Glengarry Life No. 32 (1993) 3 * private information * the GN followed his academic and professional progress over a lifetime, e. g., GN 20 & 27 May 1921, 9 June 1922, 11 May 1923, 15 June 1923, 23 May 1924, 8 Dec. 1944