Andrew McFadyean

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sir Andrew McFadyean

Sir Andrew McFadyean (23 April 1887 – 2 October 1974) was a British diplomat, economist, Treasury official, businessman, Liberal politician, publicist and philosopher. He was born at Leith in Scotland and died at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London.[1]

Early life

He was the son of Sir

Dick Vet school in Edinburgh
.

He attended University College School, London, and University College, Oxford, where he graduated with a second class in classical honour moderations (1907) and a first in literae humaniores (1909).[3]

Family

His marriage to Dorothea Emily, youngest daughter of Charles Kean Chute (1858-1905), an actor and theatre manager, and Sybil Claridge (née Andrews; 1860-1930), an actress, took place on 7 October 1913.

There were four children from the marriage: a son, Colin, who was born in 1914, and three daughters, Sybil Barbara (b. 1917), Margaret Ann (b. 1925), and Joan Eleanor (b. 1930).

Career in public service

In 1910 McFadyean joined the

Dawes plan
) and subsequently Chief Commissioner of Revenue in Berlin until his departure from this sphere in 1930.

In 1924, he worked for a reduction in German reparations; in this he agreed with

knighted in 1925. In 1929 the Dawes Plan was replaced by the Young Plan
, with which he had no direct part, and this aimed at a final settlement of reparations.

Upon his return from Berlin, he did not rejoin the Treasury, but instead started a career in the City of London. He became a director of various companies, particularly of refugee firms from Germany. He was chairman of S. G. Warburg & Co. Ltd, from its inception in 1934 (as the New Trading Company Ltd) until 1952, and a director until 1967, by which time it had become a major merchant bank.

Politics

His career in politics started in 1936, when he became the joint treasurer of the

Scottish parliament. He opposed the abolition of nuclear weapons, arguing that it was an impossibility.[6]

Furtherance of international co-operation

From 1933 to 1967, he was a member of the council of the

Hegelian conception of the state, and Europe must Unite (1940), calling for a European commonwealth based on a European ideal transcending, without weakening, national patriotisms. In 1941, and with the Treaty of Versailles in mind, McFadyean was already arguing against repressive measures toward a post-war Germany.[7][8]

He was active in the

European Common Market and, believing that tariffs and monopolist and restrictive practices in industry were wrecking the UK's competitiveness, he served as president of the Free Trade Union from 1948 to 1959. He helped persecuted Jews (also urging the admission of Jewish refugees to Palestine)[9] and enemy aliens who had been unjustly interned by the UK during the war.[10][11][12][13]

He worked with John MacCallum after the Second World War to organise the

Wadham College, Oxford, in 1947 and McFadyean became its vice-president.[citation needed
]

References

The information above is drawn from the obituary in the Times of 3 October 1974 and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Additional information from The Times is cited in footnotes. See notes and sources below.

Note and sources

  1. ^ "Obituary, Sir Andrew McFadyean, Specialist on German reparations", The Times, 3 October 1974
  2. ^ Wilson, From Mrs Audrey. "Knight after knight".
  3. ^ G. C. Peden, 'McFadyean, Sir Andrew (1887–1974)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 1 Sept 2009
  4. ^ "Letter: Electoral Method", The Times, 15 February 1941
  5. ^ "Letter: Liberal Votes And Seats Case For Electoral Reform", The Times, 26 November 1951
  6. ^ "Letter: Use Of Atomic Weapons – Arguments Against Prohibition", The Times, 28 December 1951
  7. ^ "Letter: Treatment of Germany after the war", The Times, 31 March 1941
  8. ^ "Letter: Germany After The War Liberal Committee's Proposals, Control Of Arms And Education", The Times, 8 August 1944
  9. ^ "Letter: The Jewish Refugees", The Times, 2 August 1947
  10. ^ "Letter: Having many friends who are refugees", The Times, 20 May 1940
  11. ^ "Letter: Internment", The Times, 22 August 1940
  12. ^ "Letter: Interned Aliens", The Times, 27 January 1941
  13. ^ "Letter: Men without a country – Refugees after the war", The Times, 10 April 1943

Archives

External links

Party political offices
Preceded by
New position
 Treasurer of the Liberal Party
1937–1950 		Succeeded by
Percy Heffer
Preceded by
President of the Liberal Party

1949–1950 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_McFadyean&oldid=1166828812"