Douglas C.C. Young

Douglas C.C. Young (1913-1973) was born in Tayport, Scotland. He attended the University of St. Andrews as a Harkness Scholar, and received his MA with a first class in Classics in 1934. He continued his studies at New College, Oxford (1935-38) as first Craven Scholar of the University. He was a leader in Scots nationalist politics, and was imprisoned during World War II for refusing the draft because it had not been voted by the Scottish parliament. Following positions at the University of Aberdeen and St. Andrews, he served as Senior Lecturer in Greek at St. Andrews from 1955 to 1968, receiving a Doctor of Letters there in 1963. In 1968 he assumed a Professorship of Classics at McMaster University. In 1970 he was appointed the first Paddison Professor of Greek at UNC. He died quite unexpectedly at his desk October 24, 1973. He was well-known in Scotland as a poet writing in the Lallans dialect. Among his classical publications are Theognis for the Teubner series (1961, second edition 1971), Chasing an Ancient Greek, a book on his adventures pursuing manuscripts for that edition, translations into Scots dialect of Aristophanes’ Frogs (The Puddocks, 1957) and Birds (The Burdies, 1959) as well as English translations of Euripides’ Hippolytus (1968) and Aeschylus’ Oresteia (1974). Other books include Edinburgh in the age of Sir Walter Scott (1965), St. Andrews: Town and Gown, Royal and Ancient (1969), and Scotland (1971). After his death his friends published A Clear Voice. Douglas Young: Poet and Polymath. A Selection from his Writings with a Memoir (n.d., Macdonald Publishers, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland). Besides the Memoir (pp. 9-34), this volume contains a bibliography of his varied writings, pp. 155-157.