George Douglas Leechman (1865-1923)
1923 Obituary [1]
GEORGE DOUGLAS LEECHMAN was born in 1865, and was educated at Bishop's Stortford College.
He was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1905, having previously practised as a solicitor.
He was also an engineer and a chartered patent agent, and in the latter capacity was of considerable assistance to the Committee of this Institution in getting various amendments to the Patents and Designs Bill. 1919 accepted by the Government.
Mr. Leechman became an Associate of this Institution in 1898, and a Companion in 1922. He was also a Member of the Council of the Institution of Automobile Engineers and of the Institute of Inventors.
His death took place on 18th March 1923, at the age of fifty-eight.
1922/23 Obituary [2]
George Douglas Leechman was widely known and greatly respected as a Member of Council and latterly as Vice-President of the Institution of Automobile Engineers. His connection with the Industry dates from the early days of cycle manufacture, and on the formation of the Cycle Engineers' Institute in Birmingham, in 1899, he was elected a Member of Council of that body.
When the headquarters of the Institution were transferred to London in 1906, he continued to serve on the Council, and was continuously in office up to the time of his death, being elected a Vice-President in 1921.
Both as a Member of Council and of numerous sub-committees, Mr. Leechman rendered conspicuously valuable services to the Institution, and he contributed several papers on motor cycle design and on patent procedure, on which he was an authority.
His death took place on March 18th, after an operation for appendicitis, to the great regret of his colleagues by whom he will be very much missed.