Patrick Dollan
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Glaswegian Patrick Joseph Dollan, along with his wife Agnes, was an activist in the Scottish Independent Labour Party. During the First World War he campaigned against the Munitions of War Act of 1915 which suspended Trade Unionists' rights for the duration of hostilities. It being a common complaint of the time that whereas Unionists were largely prepared to temporarily forfeit their rights in the interests of patriotism, employers in the armaments sector seemed less willing to share their consequent - record - profits.
The Dollans were vocal in raising awareness of the plight of thousands of Glasgow tenants who were having their rents raised at a time when military conscription had reduced their earning potential. Government concern at the volatile situation in the city led to the Rent Restrictions Act of November 1915, freezing rents at pre-war levels.
In the 1920s he was the author of a booklet entitled 'The Clyde Rent War!;' a history of the Glasgow rent strikes of 1915-16 which also contained proposals for housing policy reform.
In 1939 he won the inaugural St Mungo Prize, awarded since triannually to the person deemed to have done the most to promote and improve the city of Glasgow in the previous three years. He served as Lord Provost of Glasgow 1938-1941 and was later knighted.
The Dollan Baths in East Kilbride, Scotland's first Olympic-sized swimming pool, is named in his honour.
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