| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's rowing | ||
 | 1908 London | Men's coxless four |
| 1912 Stockholm | Men's eight |
Sir James Angus Gillan (11 October 1885 – 23 April 1981) was a Scottish rower and colonial service official. He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics. [1]
Gillan was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and was educated at Edinburgh Academy and Magdalen College, Oxford. He rowed for Oxford in the Boat Race in 1907, but missed the 1908 race because of a severe attack of influenza. He also rowed for his college and the Magdalen College coxless four won the Stewards' Challenge Cup and the Visitors' Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1907 and 1908. [2] The Magdalen crew was chosen to represent Great Britain rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics, and Gillan was in the four with Collier Cudmore, John Somers-Smith and Duncan 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 of Leander Club and was in the crew that won the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1911. He was home on leave again in 1912 and was member of the British eight which won the gold medal rowing 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 a CMG in 1935 and a KBE in 1939. [5] After World War II, Gillan headed the Empire Division of the British Council and played a major part in the organization of the 1948 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 the Royal Overseas League from 1955 to 1962.
Gillan died at Leigh, Surrey, at the age of 95.
Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior to Leander: Brasenose College Boat Club and Jesus College Boat Club and Westminster School Boat Club, founded in 1813.
William George Ranald Mundell Laurie was an English physician, Olympic rowing champion and gold medallist. He was the father of actor Hugh Laurie.
Arthur Stanley Garton was a British rower who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Leslie Graham Wormald was an English rower who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics representing Great Britain.
Ewart Douglas Horsfall MC was a British rower who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.
Gilchrist Stanley Maclagan was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. He was killed in action during the First World War.
Charles Desborough 'Don' Burnell, was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Raymond Broadley Etherington-Smith was an English doctor and rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Sir Collier Robert Cudmore was an Australian lawyer, politician and Olympic rower who won the gold medal in the 1908 Summer Olympics for Great Britain.
Duncan Mackinnon was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. He was killed in action during the First World War.
John Robert Somers-Smith MC was an English rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. He was killed in action during the First World War.
Harold Ross Barker was an English rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics for Great Britain.
Guy Nickalls was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British eight that won gold, won 22 events at Henley Royal Regatta and won the Wingfield Sculls three times.
Guy Oliver Nickalls, also known as Gully Nickalls, was a British rower who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics and in the 1928 Summer Olympics.
James Alexander MacNabb was a British rower who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
Charles Brian Murray Lloyd was an English rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Christopher Guy Vere Davidge, of Little Houghton House, OBE DL was a British rower who competed in the Summer Olympics three times in 1952, 1956 and 1960 and won the Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta three times.
Kenneth Martin Payne was a British rower who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.
David Michael Jennens was an English rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was a medical doctor.
Reading University Boat Club is the rowing club for the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. It is based at a boat house in Christchurch Meadows on the River Thames in the Reading suburb of Caversham. The club has a focus on sculling. It has consistently been one of the more successful university rowing clubs in Britain, including topping the medal table at the BUCS regatta in 2011 and at the BUCS small boats head in 2014 and 2015, as well as wins at Henley Royal Regatta in 1986, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013, and is considered one of the top six university rowing clubs in the UK. A number of former members have competed at the Olympics, including double gold-medallists James Cracknell and Helen Glover. The club has organised the Reading University Head of the River race since 1935.
