Dugald McCoig Cowan (17 October 1865 – 30 December 1933 ) was a Scottish

educationalist Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

and

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician.

Family and education

Cowan was born in

Maryhill Maryhill ( gd, Cnoc Màiri) is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road. The far north west of the area is served by Maryhill railway station. History Hew Hill, ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

the son of John and Christina Cowan. He was educated at Glasgow Free Church Training College and

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. He held MA and

LL.B Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degrees. He never married.

Career

Cowan was a schoolteacher and an expert on the subject of education. He was Headmaster of

North Kelvinside North Kelvinside (also referred to as North Kelvin, gd, Cealbhainn a Tuath) is a residential district of the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is usually regarded as a subdistrict of Maryhill, sharing its G20 postcode, as well as its House of Commo ...

Higher Grade School from 1896 to 1919 and he played a large part in educational activities in Scotland in particular through the

Educational Institute of Scotland The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is the oldest teachers' trade union in the world, having been founded in 1847 when dominies became concerned about the effect of changes to the system of education in Scotland on their professional s ...

, but also through Glasgow University and the Corporation of the City of Glasgow as well as other bodies. He authored a number of school text books and wrote articles on educational themes. He was credited with improving educational provision and helping to raise teachers’ salaries and promoting teachers' pension provision.

Politics

1918

Cowan was elected at the 1918 general election as Coalition Liberal

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

(MP) for the Universities of Scotland. This was a three-member seat and Cowan was elected with two Coalition Unioinsts.

1922-1923

Cowan was returned unopposed in at the 1922 general election as a Liberal and was again unopposed in

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

1924-1929

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China holds ...

and

1929 United Kingdom general election The 1929 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 30 May 1929 and resulted in a hung parliament. It stands as the fourth of six instances under the secret ballot, and the first of three under universal suffrage, in which a party ha ...

there was a Labour candidate but Cowan was re-elected with two Conservatives on each occasion. The 1924 election was carried under the

single transferable vote Single transferable vote (STV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which voters cast a single vote in the form of a ranked-choice ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vote may be transferred according to alternate ...

system. The quota required to be elected was 4,405. Craik and Cowan received more than the quota on the first count and were declared elected. The redistribution of their second votes put Berry over the quota and he too was elected. The 1929 election was carried under the same system. The quota required to be elected was 6,276. John Buchan and Cowan received more than the quota on the first count and were declared elected. The redistribution of their second votes was again enough to put Berry over the quota and he too was re-elected.

1931

At the 1931 general election he was again returned unopposed, with two Conservatives.

Death

Cowan died in office on 30 December 1933, aged 68 years in a Glasgow nursing home, having been unwell for some time and receiving treatment in the home.The Times, 1 January 1934

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Dugald 1865 births 1933 deaths Scottish Liberal Party MPs Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the Combined Scottish Universities UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 Liberal Party (UK) Alumni of the University of Glasgow