Hallgrímur Fr. Hallgrímsson

Hallgrímur Fr. Hallgrímsson (October 17, 1905 at Grund, Manitoba, Canada – September 16, 1984 in Reykjavík) was one of Iceland's leading businessmen and political figures in the mid-twentieth century.

Hallgrímur's parents were Friðrik Hallgrímsson, priest at Grund and later dean in Reykjavík, and Bentína Hansína Björnsdóttir Hallgrímsson.

Hallgrímur graduated from high school at Baldur, Manitoba in 1924 and from 1925 lived in Reykjavík, moving there when his father became a priest at the cathedral in Reykjavík. On November 17, 1928, he married Margrét Þorbjörg Thors, daughter of the business magnate Thor Philip Axel Jensen, by whom he had Margrét Þóra Hallgrímsson and Elína Benta. Towards the end of his life, he suffered from dementia.

After moving to Reykjavík, Hallgrímur began working for Shell Oil. In 1925 Hallgrímur became the chairman of Shell in Iceland until 1956 and the director of Olíufélagið Skeljungs from the same year until 1971. He was on the board of the company Anglia from 1943 and its chairman in 1948-56. He was a member of the Verslunarráð Íslands (now Viðskiptaráð Íslands, the Iceland Chamber of Commerce) 1955-60 and on the board of the Vinnuveitendasamband Íslands (Confederation of Icelandic Employers) from 1952. After retirement, he continued to receive his final salary from Shell, and after his death, the salary was paid to his widow.

Hallgrímur was Iceland's consul to Canada from 1957, and sat on the economic and party committees of the Icelandic Independence Party.

He maintained close contact with the UK, and received the highest honour which the British government bestows on foreigners, Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He also received the Grand Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon and of the Norwegian Order of St. Olav.

He was the deputy chairman of Iceland's Olympic Committee 1932-36 and its chair 1945-49; a member and later honorary member of the Reykjavík Golf Club from 1934 and its chairman 1943-49; and a member of the Rotary Club of Iceland from 1936, and its chair 1940-43.

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