Biography of Brian MacLeod Barr

Brian MacLeod Barr graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Law and Philosophy. He graduated LLB 1965 and MA 1968.

He was born in Paisley on 21st of November 1942 and was the son of Anna Cattanach and James Gilmour Barr, a music director.

After deciding he did not wish to pursue a career in law, Barr began a career in journalism in the Sunday Post of DC Thomson in Dundee. He became the lead writer at the Glasgow Herald in the 1970s and later left to continue a career in editing for a community newspaper, the Glasgow News, which was sold around Glasgow. In 1975 Barr then joined the BBC Scotland were he became a reporter on the documentary series ‘Current Account’.

Barr became a well-known Scottish Documentary film maker who is known for revealing one of Britain’s great post war scandals. In 1966 he helped expose the existence of a £500m spy satellite of which the government omitted to inform parliament.

Brian MacLeod Barr died on 29th October 2013.

Summary

Brian MacLeod Barr
Born 21 November 1942.
Died 29 October 2013.
University Link: Graduate
GU Degrees: LLB, 1965; MA, 1968;
Occupation categories: journalists
Record last updated: 22nd Sep 2016

University Connections

University Roles

• Graduate