A Farewell to Dr. Malcolm Gillis : Advisor to the Chamber

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From left: Dr. Durga Agrawal, Consul General Rinzing Wangdi, Dr. Malcolm Gillis, Ashoke Nath and Jagdip Ahluwalia. This picture was taken in 2000.

HOUSTON: IACCGH is sad to announce that Dr. Malcolm Gillis, Past President of Rice University and an esteemed Advisor to the Chamber, passed away on October 4th.

IACCGH was blessed to have Dr. Gillis as one of its earliest Advisors. He was always encouraging towards a new born Chamber, pleased at the headway made and commended the Chamber for its efforts in promoting business between the US and India. We will always be thankful to him for helping us connect with the President of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. John Mendelsohn who subsequently joined the Chamber as an Advisor. He also put us in touch with United Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune.

We fondly remember the Annual Advisors’ Dinners that he graciously hosted in the Cohen House at Rice University. He was generous with his knowledge, wisdom and expertise every time the Chamber’s leadership called upon him. We were pleased to have him join us at one of our recent Galas.

On numerous occasions, Dr. Gillis has stated that the US and India shared many things in common including a strong interest in developing and strengthening economic, technological and social relationships between the two countries. He was also proud of the fact that the first discovery of Nanotechnology, Carbon 60 was made at Rice University and believed that India can and should be a partner in taking this revolutionary discovery to greater heights.

Dr. Gillis will be greatly missed but remembered with love and respect. We join Houston in paying our respects to a wonderful human being, a leader, a distinguished economist and a passionate teacher. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Elizabeth and children.