Alan Mais, Baron Mais facts for kids
Alan Raymond Mais, who was also known as Baron Mais, was an important British leader. He was a member of the Labour Party and served as the Lord Mayor of the City of London from 1972 to 1973. He was also given special honors like the GBE and GCStJ.
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Early Life and Education
Alan Mais was born on July 7, 1911, in Southampton, England. He was the only child of Ernest Mais, who was a ship captain.
He went to Banister Court School in Hampshire. After that, he studied at the College of Estate Management. There, he trained to become a surveyor, which is someone who measures and maps land.
Before starting his own business, Mais worked for engineering companies like Richard Costain and Parker Construction.
Military Service in World War II
During World War II, Alan Mais was a Major in the Special Forces. He served in France, Iran, and Iraq.
In late 1943, he returned to Britain. His next big job was to help create the Mulberry harbour project. These were special portable harbors built to help with the D-Day landings.
After D-Day on June 6, 1944, construction began off the coast of Normandy. Mais was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. He was in charge of building the pierheads and floating roads for the British harbor. He worked under Colonel Stuart Gilbert of the Royal Engineers.
Later, he joined the Canadians as they moved towards the Rhine river. He was promoted again to full Colonel. He became the Deputy Chief engineer in Antwerp, a major city in Belgium.
Important Career Roles
After the war, Mais joined a construction company called Trollope & Colls. He became a joint-managing director and then the chairman in 1963. He retired in 1968 when the company was bought by Trafalgar House.
In 1967, he was made a Life Peer by Prime Minister Harold Wilson. This meant he became Baron Mais and could sit in the House of Lords. He represented the Labour Party, then later the Liberal Party and Liberal Democrats.
Lord Mais became a Freeman of the City of London. This is a special honor given to people who have contributed a lot to the city. He also led two important old trade groups: the Cutlers' Company and the Paviors' Company.
From 1963, he served as an Alderman for the Walbrook area of the City of London. He was also the Sheriff of London from 1969 to 1970. In 1972, he was elected Lord Mayor of London. He was the first person who was also a peer (a Baron) to hold this important job at the same time. He was also HM Lieutenant of the City and a Justice of the Peace. From 1976, he was a Deputy Lieutenant for County of Kent.
In 1978, a series of important talks called the Mais Lecture began. These lectures are about banking and finance. Many important people have given these talks, including leaders from the Bank of England and Prime Ministers.
Personal Life
In 1936, Alan Mais married Lorna Aline Boardman. She was the daughter of a wool merchant. They had two sons and one daughter together.
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