John Gilfillan

American politician
the American politician and lawyer

John Bachop Gilfillan (February 11, 1835 – August 19, 1924), known as J. B., was a Minnesota politician and lawyer active in the late 19th century.

Gilfillan was born on February 11, 1835, in Caledonia County, Vermont. He attended school at Caledonia County Grammar School, followed by Caledonia County Academy. He began teaching school at age 17. In 1855, he traveled to St. Anthony, Hennepin County, Minnesota to visit his sister, Mrs. John Martin, and decided to stay.

His first political position was as a member of the region's first school board. He was admitted to the bar and began law practice in 1860. He remained in that position for 10 years, although was briefly replaced by George Robinson (from 1867 to 1869). He served one term but was not re elected in 1886 when St. Paul mayor Edmund Rice won. He followed that loss with extensive travel to Europe and the Middle East. Gilfillan had been appointed a regent of the University of Minnesota by Minnesota Governor Pillsbury in 1880, and after serving eight years, remained in an advisory capacity. While serving in the Minnesota Senate, he was on the Committee of University Lands and was instrumental in development of the University's Agricultural Experiment Station. Gilfillan endowed the University of Minnesota with $50,000 in 1901 for student scholarships. She survived him until 1937. Gilfillan was Republican and a member of the Minneapolis Club, the Minnesota State Bar Association, and the Westminster Presbyterian Church until his death in 1924. He was interred at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.