David Bayne Horn was born on 9 July 1901. He was educated at Edinburgh Institution, later called Melville College (now Stewart's Daniel & Melville College). He then studied at Edinburgh University, gaining a first class honours degree in history, MA, 1922. In 1923, Horn joined the staff of the History Department of the University as an Assistant in History. In 1927 he became a Lecturer in History, and in 1929 was awarded the degree of D.Litt. at the University for his thesis onSir Charles Hanbury Williams and European diplomacy. Horn then went on to become Professor of Modern History in 1954. A writer as well as a lecturer, his main interest lay in the field of 18th century diplomatic history and 18th century British foreign policy in particular. His publication record includesA history of Europe, 1871-1920(1927),British diplomatic representatives, 1689-1789(1932),Scottish diplomatists, 1689-1789(1944),British public opinion and the first partition of Poland(1945),British diplomatic service, 1689-1789 (1961), Frederick the Great and the rise of Prussia(1964),Great Britain and Europe in the eighteenth century(1967). At the time of his death on 7 August 1969, Horn was engaged in writing a full-length history of the University, having been given two years' leave of absence for the project. In 1967 he had written a shorter history of the University.