Trinity College Oxford, Report 2008 – 2009

6837_cover:S4493_cover 23/11/2009 11:17 Page 1 Trinity College Oxford Report 2008 – 2009 6837_cover:S4493_cover 23/11/2009 11:17 Page 2 ©2008 Ede & Ravenscroft 6837:Layout 1 01/12/2009 09:02 Page 1 Trinity College Oxford | Report 2008-9 | 1 CONTENTS THE TRINITY COMMUNITY ................. 2 JUNIOR MEMBERS .............................. 72 President’s Report................................................................... 2 JCR Report ............................................................................ 72 The Governing Body and Fellowship..................................... 5 MCR Report ........................................................................... 73 News of the Governing Body ................................................. 8 Clubs and Societies................................................................. 74 Members of Staff .................................................................... 12 Blues ...................................................................................... 82 Staff News .............................................................................. 14 ARTICLES AND REVIEWS..................... 83 New Undergraduates .............................................................. 17 New Postgraduate Students .................................................... 20 ‘“Ffyrst, a chalice…”—Myths and truths concerning the Founder’s Chalice’ by Matthew Rushton .............................. 83 Degrees, Schools Results and Awards ................................... 22 ‘The Trinity Borstal Camps 1962-69’ by Richard Incledon... 89 THE COLLEGE YEAR............................ 26 ‘Sailing at Trinity’ by Jeremy Atkins...................................... 92 Book Reviews......................................................................... 93 Alumni & Development Office Report ................................. 26 Benefactors ............................................................................ 29 Degree Days ........................................................................... 95 Archive Report ....................................................................... 40 Gaudy Dates ........................................................................... 96 Buildings Report .................................................................... 46 Editor’s note ........................................................................... 96 Garden Report ........................................................................ 48 Library Report ....................................................................... 49 Schools Liaison Report........................................................... 54 OBITUARIES ....................................... 55 Cover illustration: William Pitt the Elder (1708-78), Earl of Chatham, is the second of Trinity's three Prime Minsters (only Professor Jack Good ............................................................... 55 Christ Church has more). He matriculated as a Gentleman Commoner in 1727, and spent just over a year studying at Oxford. Joan Barton............................................................................. 55 Trinity's portrait, a copy after William Hoare, was bequeathed to the College by President James Ingram in 1850. Milanka Briggs ....................................................................... 56 Inside cover: Matriculation photograph 2008 Members of College .............................................................. 57 With thanks to Ede & Ravenscroft, © 2008 6837:Layout 1 01/12/2009 09:02 Page 2 2 | Trinity College Oxford | Report 2008-9 THE TRINITY COMMUNITY PRESIDENT’S REPORT quality of education we offer our current students and plan successfully for an improvement to our infrastructure, notably a new he academic year closed on an exceptionally high note for building, of which more below. TTrinity. This year’s finalists gained thirty Firsts, a college record, and very strong performances from the rest of the finalists A major event at the start of the year was the departure after thirteen placed us in a comfortably high position in the Norrington Table, brilliant years of our award-winning chef Chris Simms, who eleventh out of thirty colleges. This reflects the greatest credit on the accepted the challenge of coping with Christ Church’s Tudor students themselves and their tutors, but we ought also to kitchen. His departure was rightly much mourned, but we are acknowledge the quiet role of those who ensure the smooth running incredibly fortunate in having as his successor an equally stellar chef of the college from the Porters to the Kitchen and Hall staff to the in the shape of Julian Smith, who happens to be Chris Simms’s Gardeners, the Workshop, the Bursary, the Alumni and Development nephew. The Hall staff are these days serenely and efficiently Office, the Accommodation Manager and the scouts, the Librarian, marshalled by Lisa Linzey. At the start of the summer we temporarily the College Office, the Conference Administrator and the Computer lost our Accommodation Manager, Mandy Giles, to maternity leave Manager. Without the seamless interaction of all the constituent parts (twins!) and Lisa, too, will be taking maternity leave at the end of of the college the academic outcome would not be realised. this year. We look forward to welcoming them both back and to adding some very junior members to the Trinity family. While this has been a good year for Trinity, academically, so has it been for the University as a whole. Oxford topped ‘The Times Good A more permanent departure at the end of this academic year is that University Guide’ for the eighth year in a row, scoring the top marks of our Senior Tutor, Trudy Watt, who is retiring after eight years in overall for staffing levels, degree classifications and spending on post. Her work rate has been legendary and I in particular will miss student facilities. It deposed Cambridge from the Sunday Times top her wise counsel. In her place we will welcome Valerie Worth, who slot and received UK best university ratings from the Independent has been Head of Modern Languages at Exeter University, but who and the Guardian. A clean sweep. The University also received more at an earlier stage of her career was a lecturer here at Trinity. We will external research income than any other UK university and topped also be welcoming to the ranks of the Governing Body, as a the tables for the Research Assessment Exercise funding. This permanent replacement for Peter Carey, our new History Fellow, research investment is a huge vote of confidence in the University James McDougall, again an old Oxford hand, who has most recently and as we heard from the Prime Minister when he visited Oxford been working in London. We are losing two Junior Research earlier in the year, an economic downturn is no time to slow down Fellows, Laura Swift and John Vakonakis and gaining a new one in investment in research. The University has also seen a change of Law, Dorota Leczykiewicz. We have a new librarian in the shape of Vice-Chancellor: John Hood stepped down after five momentous Sharon Cure from the Saïd Business School, while her predecessor, years in which the pluses far outweigh the minuses, to be replaced Alison Felstead, takes a position in the Bodleian. by Andrew Hamilton, previously Provost of Yale. In the sporting field, the major event was undoubtedly the first Trinity, like the University, is heavily dependent on the generosity Trinity rowing Blue for fifty years, Alex Hearne, who was part of of donors and benefactors and here too, despite the very difficult the successful Oxford crew in this year’s boat race. The Boat Club economic climate, we have been very lucky to attract some received another new boat this year through the generosity of substantial donations which will allow us both to maintain the high Harry Fitzgibbons and performed creditably in Torpids and Eights. 6837:Layout 1 01/12/2009 09:02 Page 3 Trinity College Oxford | Report 2008-9 | 3 Indeed two of the Men’s Crews in Torpids won Blades, a churches of Rome, including two of four basilicas. Other musical remarkable achievement. Trinity Cricket flourished this year, highlights this year included an outstanding production of the rarely inspired by the example of Charlie Hill, the Cricket Blue. Elsewhere performed Schubert opera Fierrabras, which won great critical the Women’s Joint Soccer Team with LMH won Cuppers for the acclaim, particularly for Sarah Jenks, the prime mover behind it. second year running and Trinity won Athletic Cuppers. A complete College drama has been particularly active with several productions, list of Blues and Half-Blues obtained by our students can be found culminating in The Insect Play by The Brothers Čapek on the lawns on page 82. in 6th week. An intriguing play and one which provided a striking contrast to the more traditional lawns play of the Oscar The Chapel Choir has been in particularly good voice and has Wilde/Restoration comedy variety. recorded a new CD called A Voice from Afar, which can be obtained from the Porter’s Lodge or the Alumni & Development Office. The The Richard Hillary lecture was a dazzling display of erudition and choir spent some time in the summer singing in some of the great wit by the Booker Prize-winning writer Colm Tóibín. Next year’s The Richard Hillary Memorial Lecture: The President, Colm Tóibín, Professor Hermione Lee (President of Wolfson College) and Stefano Evangelista (Fellow & Tutor in English) 6837:Layout 1 01/12/2009 09:02 Page

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