JJR Macleod shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1923 as a co-discoverer of insulin and is directly responsible for saving the lives of millions of people with Type 1 diabetes. Yet despite his considerable achievements, very few Aberdonians today are aware of the legacy of one of their city’s most remarkable native sons.
The time has come to raise awareness of this unsung hero’s contributions to humanity and the proud place he rightfully deserves in the history of Aberdeen.
Nearby, mounted bronze plaques present Macleod’s name, key dates, his role in the discovery of insulin and reference to his receipt of the 1923 Nobel Prize Award for Physiology or Medicine.
Despite his prestigious Nobel recognition, Macleod was effectively airbrushed from history for nearly 50 years. It wasn’t until 1982, when historian Michael Bliss published the untold story behind the development of the world’s first clinically useful insulin, that Macleod’s vital contribution to this miracle drug was revealed.
This project was inspired by Professor Bliss’s tireless 30+ year campaign to give Jack Macleod’s scientific legacy the global acclaim it so rightfully deserves.
Some of his works include sculptures aboard the Queen Mary 2 and statues of Jock Stein, Jimmy Johnstone, Billy McNeill, Ben Bouden the poet of Dudley, the Shipbuilders at Port Glasgow and canine war hero Rifleman Khan.
The sculptor’s first portrait of Jack Macleod.
Rendering of the JJR Macleod Memorial Statue.