Sir Ian Morrison Ross Maclennan (30 October 1909 â 25 December 1986) was a British diplomat who served as High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador to Ireland, and High Commissioner to New Zealand.
Maclennan was born on 30 October 1909 in Glasgow, the son of W.ÃÂ Maclennan. He was educated at Hymers College, Hull, where he won a scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford, and took a first in Modern Greats.
Maclennan joined the Colonial Office in 1933, and in 1937 was transferred to the Dominions Office. In the following year he was posted to the UK High Commissioner's Office at Ottawa. In 1945, he was transferred to Pretoria, and then served as the first British High Commissioner to Southern Rhodesia from 1951 to 1953, and High Commissioner to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland from 1953 to 1955.
After working as an assistant under-secretary of state at the Commonwealth Relations Office from 1955 to 1957, he served as the first British High Commissioner to newly independent Ghana from 1957 to 1959. He was then Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland from 1960 to 1963, and British High Commissioner for New Zealand from 1964 until his retirement in 1969.
In retirement Maclennan was a member of the General Advisory Council of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) from 1974 to 1982 and chairman from 1979 to 1982.
Maclennan married Margherita Jarrett in 1936 and they had a son and a daughter.
Maclennan died on 25 December 1986, aged 77.
Maclennan was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in theÃÂ 1951 New Year Honours,ÃÂ and promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in theÃÂ 1957 Birthday Honours.