Alexander Heron

Alexander Macmillan Heron
Alexander Heron on the 1921 Everest expedition
Born	(1884-07-31)31 July 1884 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	1971 (aged 86) Tamil Nadu
Nationality	British
Occupation	Geologist
Known for	1921 Mount Everest expedition

Alexander Macmillan Heron, BSc DSc FGS FRGS, FRSE (31 July 1884 – 1971), was a Scottish geologist who became Director of the Geological Survey of India. He participated in the 1921 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition following which he produced a geological map of the Everest region of Tibet.

Alexander Heron was born in Duddingston, Edinburgh on 31 July 1884, son of William Heron, a coal agent for William Baird & Co of Garthsherrie, who later became a macer (court usher), and Joan Heron, née Macmillan. He graduated from Edinburgh University in engineering in 1906 and in that year he joined the Geological Survey of India. In 1911, in South Stoneham, Hampshire, he married Margaret Kirsopp of Musselburgh and in 1915 they had a daughter, Marjorie Edgware Heron. He was elected fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1925 and, succeeding Sir Lewis Leigh Fermor, he became the Survey's director in 1936 until stepping down from that post in 1939. From 1934 to 1937 he was president of the Calcutta Geographical Society (which in 1951 became the Geographical Society of India). In 1948 Heron was geological advisor for Hyderabad. He continued publishing research papers for the Geological Survey into the 1950s and, after 23 years of geological survey in Rajasthan he published his magnum opus, "The Geology of Central Rajasthan", in 1953. He died in 1971 aged 86 while he was staying in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India.

The 1921 Everest reconnaissance expedition was funded by the Royal Geographical Society, the Alpine Club and the Survey of India with a remit to explore the approaches to Mount Everest from Sikkim and through Tibet, and to investigate possible routes for climbing the mountain. Reaching the summit was not a primary objective. For geographical survey work the Survey of India appointed its own officers and the Geological Survey of India appointed Heron to conduct a widespread geological survey and to produce a map. Charles Howard-Bury led the expedition. Harold Raeburn and Alexander Kellas were to lead the climbing team but, after Kellas' sudden death on the walk-in, and Raeburn's illness reuiring him to return to base, George Mallory effectively became lead climber. Henry Morshead led the survey work.