MacGillivray, Sir Donald Charles, 1906-1966

Sir Donald Charles MacGillivray(1906-1966) Knight, Colonial Administrator

Born 22 September 1906 in Edinburgh, Scotland, MacGillivray attended Sherbourne School and then Trinity College, Oxford where he studied politics, philosophy and economics. He entered the colonial administration service in 1928 and became administrative officer, Tanganyika Territory in 1929-1938. In 1936 he was awarded an MBE and in the same year married Louisa Mai Knox-Browne. MacGillivray became administrative officer in Palestine, 1938-1942, promoted to Deputy District Commissioner, Galilee, Palestine, 1942-1944 and later District Commissioner, Samaria, Palestine 1944-1946. From 1946-1947 MacGillivray was the Under Secretary to the Palestine Government and in 1947 became the Liaison Officer with the UN Special Committee on Palestine. In 1947 MacGillivray was appointed colonial secretary in Jamaica until 1952 and in 1949 was awarded a CMG. From 1952 he was appointed as Deputy High Commissioner, Federation of Malaya and then promoted in 1954 to High Commissioner. MacGillivray was awarded the GCMG in 1957 and retired the same year from the Colonial Administration service and moved to Kenya where he took the role of Chairman, Kenya Council State in 1958 and then Chairman, Makerere College, Council in Uganda until 1961. In 1960 he became Deputy Chairman on the Advisory Commission on Federation of the Rhodesia's and Nyasaland. In 1964 he became Director for the UN Special Fund for East African Livestock Develt Survey until 1966. MacGillivray died on 24 December 1966 in Nairobi, leaving his wife and one son.

From the guide to the Sir Donald MacGillivray Collection, 1938-1948, (Middle East Centre Archive, St Antony's College, Oxford)