Following the death of incumbent chairman John Wilson in 1963, Rangers appointed John Lawrence to succeed him. Lawrence had been on the board of Rangers since the mid-1950s and would remain in charge for a decade before resigned to become honorary president. During his tenure as chairman, Lawrence oversaw two of the most pivotal events namely the 1971 Ibrox disaster and the European Cup Winners' Cup Final fifteen months later. His legacy continued in the shape of his grandson, Lawrence Marlborough who inherited his shareholding and was appointed vice-chairman in 1979. Marlborough would go on to revitalise the fortunes of the club in the 1980s before selling his stake in the company that owned the club to David Murray in 1988.