Allan Gilmour (university administrator)
{{short description|American executive and university president}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| name = Allan Gilmour
| caption =
| birthname = Allan Dana Gilmour
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|6|17}}
| birth_place = Barnet, Vermont
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Harvard University (BA)
University of Michigan (MBA)
| occupation = Corporate executive, university president
| years_active = 1960–1995; 2002-2005; 2011-2013
| known for = Vice chairman, Ford Motor Company, and first openly gay senior executive of a Fortune 100 company
| spouse = Eric Girgens
| children =
}}
Allan D. Gilmour is an American businessman and former university president. In his role as chief financial officer and former vice chairman of Ford Motor Company, he was the highest ranking, openly gay executive of a Fortune 100 company.
Early life and education
Allan Dana Gilmour was born on June 17, 1934 in Barnet, Vermont,Queer Places: Allan D. Gilmour. http://www.elisarolle.com/queerplaces/a-b-ce/Allan%20D.%20Gilmour.htmlAllan Gilmour, 1934 -. Distinguished Service Citation Award 2007. Automotive Hall of Fame. https://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honoree/allan-gilmour/ and was raised on Maplemont Farm in Barnet. He is the oldest son of Marjorie Fyler Gilmour (1906-1987),Northeast Kingdom Genealogy. Annual Town Reports. Death Notices 1925-1987. Barnet. Caledonia Co., Vermont. https://www.nekg-vt.com/tr/tr_barnet-d.php a homemaker, and Albert Davis Gilmour (1900-1980), a dairy cow dealer.Richard Doug Gilmour (1940-2022). Obituary. https://www.rickerfh.com/obituary/richard-gilmour
Like his father, Gilmour attended Exeter and graduated in 1952.Allan Gilmour '52. Phillips Exeter Academy. https://www.exonians.exeter.edu/s/1682/images/gid2/editor_documents/events/john_elizabeth_phillips_award/2018gilmourcitation.final.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61&sessionid=a05b056b-6f05-4590-bf34-61eefdfb4040&cc=1Allan Gilmour ’52 Receives the John Phillips Award. The Exonian. https://theexonian.net/news/2018/11/01/allan-gilmour-52-receives-the-john-phillips-award He was classmates with Jay Rockefeller.{{Cite web|url=http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/22758/former_ford_pioneer_allan_gilmour_speaks_about_life_as_a_gay_executive|title=Former Ford Pioneer Allan Gilmour speaks about life as a gay executive|website=www.deadlinedetroit.com}} After Exeter, Gilmour attended Harvard University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1956. He enrolled at the University of Michigan Law School, became uninterested in legal studies, and then transferred to University of Michigan Business School. Gilmour finished his MBA requirements in three semesters, and graduated in 1959. He also worked as a teaching fellow and studied for a PhD at Michigan.
Career
=Ford Motor Company=
In 1960, Gilmour was hired as a financial analyst at Ford Motor Company. Throughout his initial thirty-five year career at Ford, he served as vice president of external and personnel affairs, vice president and controller, chief financial officer and a member of the board of directors (1986), executive vice president for international automotive operations (1987), president of Ford Automotive Group (1990), president of Ford Motor Credit Company, and vice chairman (1993), the number two position in command.{{Cite web|url=https://pridesource.com/article/42699/|title=Openly gay former Ford CFO to head WSU|website=Pride Source|date=August 12, 2010}}
Gilmour was the leading candidate to become Ford's chairman and chief executive officer on two separate occasions.Taylor, Alex, III, MY LIFE AS A GAY EXECUTIVE WHEN HE WAS A TOP CANDIDATE TO BE CEO OF FORD, ALLAN GILMOUR KEPT HIS PRIVATE LIFE SECRET. NOW HE TELLS HOW BEING GAY AFFECTED HIS CAREER--AND WHY HE BELIEVES CORPORATIONS SHOULD TREAT GAYS BETTER. FORTUNE Magazine. September 8, 1997. https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1997/09/08/230840/ In 1989, he was thought to be the choice of outgoing CEO Donald Petersen, yet was passed over for Red Poling. In 1992, Gilmour was passed over again, this time for Alex Trotman. After being rejected twice for CEO, Gilmour, who was not openly gay, decided to retire from Ford in 1995 at age 60.
In December 1996, Gilmour came out as gay in an interview with a Detroit LGBTQ publication. He is recognized as the first corporate executive to be identified as gay and to serve as chairman or vice chairman of a Fortune 100 company. In 2002, Gilmour, returned to Ford as chief financial officer,Jones, Terril Yue. Gilmour Rejoins Ford as Chief Financial Officer. Los Angeles Times. May 21, 2002. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-21-fi-ford21-story.html and retired three years later in 2005. In total, Gilmour worked at Ford for thirty-eight years.
Gilmour was the principal owner of a Ford-Chrysler dealership located in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
=Wayne State University=
In 2010, Gilmour was named interim president of Wayne State University.{{Cite web|url=https://today.wayne.edu/news/2011/01/18/wayne-state-university-names-allan-gilmour-11th-president-3957|title=Wayne State University names Allan Gilmour 11th President|date=May 15, 2018|website=Today@Wayne}} In 2011, the Board of Governors at Wayne State University unanimously elected Gilmour to serve as university president. In 2012, Gilmour underwent treatment for prostate cancer.WSU President Allan Gilmour tells of his battle with cancer in Detroit Free Press. Wayne State University. May 29, 2012. https://today.wayne.edu/news/2012/05/29/wsu-president-allan-gilmour-tells-of-his-battle-with-cancer-in-detroit-free-pressap-feature-20215 In 2013, he retired from the university.Murray, Diana Dillabaer. New Haven Register. Nov 12, 2012. https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Wayne-State-University-president-steps-down-11472281.php
Upon his retirement, Gilmour donated his salary that he earned during his tenure back to the university in the form of an endowed scholarship gift to honor his husband, Eric Jirgens.Wayne State gets $1M parting gift from President Gilmour. Wayne State University. June 26, 2013. https://today.wayne.edu/news/2013/06/26/wayne-state-gets-1m-parting-gift-from-president-gilmour-21125
Personal life
In the spring of 1994, Gilmour met Eric Jirgens, who is twenty-eight years younger than him, at a dinner partyUmoh, Ruth (June 29, 2019). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthumoh/2019/06/29/gay-in-the-c-suite-at-ford-a-pioneer-looks-back/ Gay In The C-Suite At Ford: A Pioneer Looks Back.] Forbes. in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. In 1995, Gilmour and Jirgens co-founded the Gilmour-Jirgens Fund that has donated millions of dollars to charity, including lesbian and gay organizations. The fund is managed by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. In 2015, Gilmour and Jirgens married, and the couple live in Birmingham, Michigan.
Gilmour has two brothers: Richard Doug Gilmour, who died in 2022, and John GIlmour, who preceded Richard in death.
Boards and affiliations
Gilmour co-chaired a capital campaign for University of Michigan that raised $1.4 billion. He also served as an honorary co-chair of The Michigan Difference Campaign [https://finance.umich.edu/reports/2005/michdiff/index.html The Michigan Difference Campaign. Financial Report 2005.] University of Michigan. that raised $3.2 billion, the largest amount by a public university in the United States.
Stevens, Lindy (February 2, 2009). [https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/32-billion-michigan-difference-total-announced/ $3.2 billion Michigan Difference total announced.] The Michigan Daily.
Gilmour has served as a member of the board of directors of DTE Energy Company, Whirlpool Corporation, Ford Motor Co., US West, MediaOne Group, Prudential Financial, Dow Chemical, Whirlpool and Universal Technical Institute.
In 1995, he served as chairman of the Henry Ford Health System. In addition, Gilmour served as a trustee or board member of several organizations, including the University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Zoo, Downtown Detroit Partnership, Foundation for Detroit’s Future, Business Leaders for Michigan, Citizens Research Council, Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan, and St. Johnsbury Academy.About Allan Gilmour. Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society (FOCIS). Wayne State University. https://focis.wayne.edu/reich/gilmour
He was instrumental in starting the HOPE (Helping Others through Partnerships and Education) Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan that provides grants and technical support to LGBTQ individuals and families.Hope Fund. Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. https://cfsem.org/special-opportunities/the-hope-fund/
Awards and Honors
- Distinguished Service Citation Award, Automotive Hall of Fame, 2007
- Michiganian of the Year, 2011
- Detroit Free Press Neal Shine Award, 2012
- Gilmour Mall, formerly Perry Mall, Wayne State University, renamed in his honor, 2013
- John Phillips Award, Phillips Exeter Academy, the highest award given by his prep school alma mater, 2018
- Allan D. Gilmour Award for Outstanding Leadership in Inclusion, presented by The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce, 2019Kucharski, Eve. Allan Gilmour Talks Charitable Giving and Community Awareness in Advance of LGBT Chamber Honor. Pride Source. May 29, 2019. Updated: August 14, 2023. https://pridesource.com/article/allan-gilmour-talks-charitable-giving-and-community-awareness-in-advance-of-lgbt-chamber-honor
- Lifetime Humanitarian Award, State of Michigan, 2019Lifetime Humanitarian - Allan D. Gilmour. Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. https://www.michigan.gov/leo/boards-comms-councils/mcsc/gov-serv-awards/governors-service-awards-winners/lifetime-humanitarian-allan-d--gilmour
References
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{{succession box
| before = Jay Noren
| title = President of Wayne State University
| years = 2011-2013
| after = M. Roy Wilson
}}
{{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmour, Allan}}
Category:American chief financial officers
Category:American LGBTQ businesspeople
Category:Presidents of Wayne State University
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:Ross School of Business alumni
Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni