Harry Duncan McGowan, 1st Baron McGowan

KBE KBE may refer to: * Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, post-nominal letters * Knowledge-based engineering Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) is the application of knowledge-based systems technology to the domain o ...

(3 June 1874 – 13 July 1961) LLD DCL, was a prominent British industrialist who served as

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

Imperial Chemical Industries Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. It was formed by the merger of four leading British chemical companies in 1926. Its headquarters were at M ...

for 20 years.

Early life and education

McGowan was the only son of Henry McGowan Esq. and his wife Agnes (née Wilson). He was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, an independent school in Glasgow and Allan Glen's School. He joined the Nobel Explosives Company, the company founded by

Alfred Nobel Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( , ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedes, Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He is best known for having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel ...

, as an executive officer. In 1918 he became Chairman and Managing Director of Explosives Trade Ltd (from 1920 known as Nobel Industries Ltd), a position he held until the formation of ICI.

Business career

In 1926 Nobel Industries merged with Brunner Mond, the

United Alkali Company United Alkali Company Limited was a British chemical company formed in 1890, employing the Leblanc process to produce soda ash for the glass, textile, soap, and paper industries. It became one of the top four British chemical companies merged in ...

and the British Dyestuffs Corporation to form

(ICI). The merger, orchestrated by

Alfred Mond, 1st Baron Melchett Alfred Moritz Mond, 1st Baron Melchett, PC, FRS, DL (23 October 1868 – 27 December 1930), known as Sir Alfred Mond, Bt between 1910 and 1928, was a British industrialist, financier and politician. In his later life he became an active Zio ...

and McGowan, created one of the world's largest industrial corporations at the time.Greenaway, Frank (2004) 'Mond family ( 1867–1973)', '' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press

Retrieved 9 March 2007. McGowan succeeded Alfred Mond, 1st Baron Melchett, Lord Melchett as Chairman and Managing Director in 1930 and remained Chairman until 1950. McGowan was appointed a

in the

1918 Birthday Honours The 1918 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, 3 June a ...

and on 24 February 1937 he was raised to the peerage as Baron McGowan, of Ardeer in the

County of Ayr Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of R ...

, following the

1937 New Year Honours The 1937 New Year Honours were appointments by King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were the first honours of George VI's reign and were announ ...

. Lord McGowan married Jean, daughter of William Young, in 1903. They had two sons and two daughters. He died in July 1961, aged 87, and was succeeded in the barony by his elder son Harry.

Arms

References

* Oxbury, Harold. ''Great Britons: Twentieth Century Lives''. Promotional Reprint Company, 1993. * Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mcgowan, Harry Mcgowan, 1st Baron 1874 births 1961 deaths Imperial Chemical Industries executives People educated at Allan Glen's School Scottish businesspeople Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Businesspeople from Glasgow Barons created by George VI