Page 34 - WHO'S WHO OF DUDLEY ROTARY

property investment and development. He became a director and chairman of well over 100
property companies, at first operating principally around the Midlands but later acquiring
valuable properties in London and promoting major office developments in cities from Sydney
to Baltimore. The business expanded to become the E Alec Colman Group, a property-based
organisation but with extensive industrial holdings in the furniture, roof tile and data storage
areas.
Alec Colman was a co-founder of the Anglo-Israel (now British-Israel) Chamber of Commerce
in 1950 and a benefactor of many communal causes in Britain and Israel. In 1963 he set up a
substantial charitable fund in his own name, with the aims of the relief of poverty, advancement
of education and advancement of religion although only a minority of the beneficiaries have a
Jewish connection. In 1974 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Bar-Ilan University
of Tel Aviv for his outstanding contribution to the general welfare of the people in Israel and
abroad. From 1950 he lived in and near Park Lane, London.

92 Joseph Southall MORRIS (1850-1930) (Elected 18.2.1924, at the age of 73; resigned 4.2.1929.)
Deputy Town Clerk (Retired). He was a solicitor’s clerk until appointed
Deputy Town Clerk of Dudley in 1894. He retired about 1920. He was also
a director of the Dudley Building Society in the 188s and Agent for the
London & Lancashire Fire Insurance Company in 1916. He was a
prominent member of Dudley Golf Club and a founder member and first
Secretary of both the Dudley Tricycle Club and the Dudley & District Liberal
Club. For many years up to 1915 he was a member of the organising
committee for the annual Dudley Castle Fete. He was also a freemason,
member of the Godson Mark Lodge and Oak Mariners Lodge. He lived in
Wellington Road, Dudley but moved to Hall Green, Birmingham about 1926 following the death
of his wife.

93 Doylah TANFIELD (Senior) (1886-1960) (Elected 18.2.1924; resigned 16.3.1926 but re-joined in
1941.) Public Auditor (under Friendly Societies Act 1896). Chartered
Accountant and senior partner of Wall & Tanfield of Birmingham and
Dudley. Son of Thomas W Tanfield, founder member of the Rotary Club,
and father of Doylah ET Tanfield who joined in 1941. (See his entry under
#247 for a more detailed biography.)

94 Francis James BALLARD, JP OBE (1875-1934) (Elected 3.3.1924; resigned
7.3.1927.) Heating Engineer. Founder and managing director of F J Ballard
& Co. of Tividale, manufacturers of industrial ovens, enamelling and
canning plant, etc, and a director and investor in many other enterprises.
Born into poverty in Netherton, he was left an orphan at the age of 12 to
make his way in the world unaided. At 14 he was apprenticed to Cradley
Heath boilermakers Roland Priest & Sons but attended evening technical
schools at Old Hill and Dudley where he won many prizes in engineering.
He then spent 12 years in the engineering department of boilermakers and
engineers Danks of Netherton before becoming a manager of the Fletton Brick Company’s works
near Peterborough and at Woburn Sands, Bedfordshire. After four years he returned to Danks,
first as a mechanic installing drying plants around the country and then as Manager. After a few
years he joined truck and trolley manufacturers Goodyears of Churchfield Street, Dudley as an
engineer and salesman. He left after three years to become agent for the Albion Commercial