| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men'srowing | ||
 | 1908 London | Men's coxless four |
| 1912 Stockholm | Men's eight |
SirJames Angus Gillan (11 October 1885 – 23 April 1981) was a Scottishrower and colonial service official. He competed in the1908 Summer Olympics and in the1912 Summer Olympics.[1]
Gillan was born inAberdeen, Scotland, and was educated atEdinburgh Academy andMagdalen College, Oxford. He rowed forOxford in theBoat Race in 1907, but missed the 1908 race because of a severe attack of influenza. He also rowed for his college and the Magdalen Collegecoxless four won theStewards' Challenge Cup and theVisitors' Challenge Cup atHenley Royal Regatta in 1907 and 1908.[2]The Magdalen crew was chosen to represent Great Britainrowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics, and Gillan was in the four withCollier Cudmore,John Somers-Smith andDuncan Mackinnon. The crew won the gold medal for Great Britain and defeated a Leander crew.[3] Gillan rowed for Oxford again in the Boat Race in 1909.
In 1909 Gillan joined the Sudan Political Service, but returned on leave in 1911 and as a member ofLeander Club and was in the crew that won theGrand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1911. He was home on leave again in 1912 and was member of the Britisheight which won the gold medalrowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He was in the UK again in 1917 when he married Margaret Douglas Ord Mackenzie at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton.[4]
Gillan served in the Sudan for thirty years and became Civil Secretary in 1934. He was appointed aCMG in 1935 and aKBE in 1939.[5] AfterWorld War II, Gillan headed the Empire Division of theBritish Council and played a major part in the organization of the1948 Summer Olympics in London. In 1949 he left the Colonial Service and became the British Council representative in Australia until 1951. Back in England, he was chairman of theRoyal Overseas League from 1955 to 1962.
Gillan died atLeigh, Surrey, at the age of 95.
