John Hannah, CBE; born February 24, 1903, died January 15, 1997
John James Miller Hannah, late of Girvan Mains, Ayrshire, has died aged 93. He made an enormous contribution to agricultural education to the lasting benefit of Scottish agriculture. He was the last survivor of the family of J M Hannah OBE, who gifted the estate of Auchincruive to the West of Scotland College of Agriculture in 1927.
John Hannah was born at Girvan Mains and educated at Girvan, Merchiston Castle School, and West of Scotland College of Agriculture. He took over the farm in 1927 and was the third John Hannah to farm at Girvan Mains. He was a forerunner in mechanisation.
John Hannah was a governor of the West of Scotland College of Agriculture for 43 years. Chairman for 1971 to 1975 ,and in October 1988 he received the first Honorary Fellowship.
The Hannah Dairy Research Institute was founded in 1928 on part of Auchincruive estate and Mr Hannah was a member of the Council from 1945 to 1980, vice-chairman from 1972 to 1980, and was made a Fellow of the Institute in 1980. During the war he played a full part in the drive for greater food production, was chairman of Ayr National Farmers' Union, and served on Ayrshire Agricultural Executive Committee. He was a ''special'' with Girvan police for more than 10 years.
Advice was given freely to groups including Scottish Agricultural Arbiters, and the then Department of Agriculture. He was awarded the CBE for his services to Scottish Agriculture in 1961.
He retired to Alloway in 1968 and continued his public work until his late 70s. He could not have achieved all he did without the support of his late wife, Mary Crawford. He is survived by his three daughters and three grandchildren.
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