Balliol College, News and Notes
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Updates from Balliol alumni around the world A supplement to Floreat Domus 2019 News and Notes NEWS AND NOTES We are delighted to share the latest news from the Balliol community became professors at the Australian and now continuing with a life of 1940s National University here in Canberra, its own, in which more than thirty Australia. He encouraged me to learn dramatists were invited to revisit David Grove (1941) to play the recorder, as he did! the entire Shakespeare canon and At 96 the most exciting thing present versions that were completely that happens is the birth of great- intelligible to a contemporary audience grandchildren. My fifth was born in while changing as few of Shakespeare’s January to Melody Grove, actress; her 1950s original lines as possible. As expected, sister, Leila Feld, lawyer, is expecting considerable controversy followed the sixth later this year. Good to Professor Barry Cox (1950) this project in the American press, know that my genes will continue to Well, at the age of 87, it seems the but in the case of the two plays for flourish, albeit somewhat diluted. time has come to let my computer which I was responsible, both have cool down – though I hope to keep already received sumptuous, full- Hyla Holden (1942) my body warm for a few years more! A scale productions at the Alabama Rather deaf and wobbly, I continue few years ago, I published the last of Shakespeare Festival, under the to write – music and musings my research papers on the structure direction of a British-born and (neither publishable). I also play and evolution of a group of fossil -trained director, Geoffrey Sherman; viola occasionally in a string reptiles older than the dinosaurs. Now, and, judging by audience and critical quartet. No awards except those I have finally sent off to the publisher reaction, the risks of undertaking that I decided to claim recently for the last, tenth, edition of my book this experiment were fully justified. military service during the Second Biogeography: An Ecological and Evolutionary World War and later in Palestine. Approach, which has been in print ever Professor Ian Macdonald (1952) since 1974. During that time, Wiley/ For the first time since I have been Edward Gelles (1944) Blackwell’s have sold some 80,000 sending a contribution to the Balliol About 20 years ago I began my study copies in the English edition, there is a News and Notes, I have nothing novel of Jewish history and the millennial Brazilian edition, and I’ve no idea how to report. I continue to teach public migrations of European Jews. This has many copies the Chinese sold in the policy (for better or worse, there is no become an inter-disciplinary approach two versions in that language. I shall shortage of material) at York University involving history, genealogy, genetics, now have to find something to do in in Toronto, play Oldtimer ice hockey onomastics, and other ancillary my newly increased spare time – but twice a week (mainly for my own subjects and includes the study of I know that my wife, Marie-Helene, amazement), and prepare to drink a genetic admixtures between ethnic will welcome that! Floreat Domus! toast to Balliol and other formative groups. The results of my ongoing influences in my life on the occasion work – including my published books Professor Hugh Burkhardt (1952) of my 90th birthday on 27 June 2019. – can now be seen on the College’s Was the winner of the first Emma Archives & Manuscripts website Castelnuovo Award of the International Sir Geoffrey Owen (1952) under ‘Papers of Edward Gelles’. Commission for Mathematical Having retired from teaching at the Instruction ‘for the practice of LSE, he is now head of industrial Emeritus Professor Malcolm Whyte mathematics education’, jointly with policy at Policy Exchange. (1948) his Nottingham colleague Malcolm I gave a talk to a Probus Club recently Swan. Robert Kernohan (1953) as part of a session on the Rhodes Reduced mobility and other Scholarship Scheme, about my Kenneth Cavander (1952) inflictions of age have reduced my experiences as a Rhodes Scholar in Staged readings of my versions of writing, broadcasting, and travelling. the ‘Peculiar Scholars’ scheme for two late Shakespeare plays – Timon of But my wife and I managed a totter ex-servicemen. Although I did not Athens and The Tempest – will take place to London for the wedding of our reside in the College, I was relatively in New York City, at CSC Repertory granddaughter Juliet. The speech of closely associated with it. The moral Company Theater on 22 June and 29 her father (Hugh Kernohan, 1977) tutor allotted to guide me was Sandy June respectively. These readings are sustained the eloquence of Balliol, Ogston (1929, Fellow and Tutor in the culmination of a project begun but the splendid occasion was very Physiology, 1937–1960). We both later by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, much an Imperial College affair. 1 FLOREAT DOMUS JUNE 2019 Front cover photo: Lucy King (2005) NEWS AND NOTES John Ford (1954) a beautiful baby girl, Evelyn Linda them they are not technically ‘Irish His latest book, Rudolph Ackermann & the Lauriente, on 25 October 2018, twins’ but the dynamic is much the Regency World (Warnham Books, 2018), in Richmond, BC, Canada. same. As all who have been there know, has been well received in terms of both grandparenting is all joy. Otherwise scholarship and book production. Professor John- I played wing man for my son, who Christopher had ‘gardening leave’, having left one John Littler (1954) Spender (1957) investment bank for another, on Recently downsized and moved to The Institute travel through Morocco and Israel last Woking, to be near my daughters. of Ethical December. The camels we rode in the Pleased to become a great-grandfather Leadership Erg Chebbi desert were Xman and Bob on 26 December, on the arrival of at Rutgers Marley. I still teach trial practice every a delightful great-granddaughter. Business School fall at George Washington Law School Helping to set up a group to study has appointed John-Christopher and occasionally try my hand as ‘second global warming in the local U3A, and (JC) Spender as its first Emeritus chair’ in civil trials. I would enjoy seeing singing with Woking Choral Society. Research Fellow. This position is any and all who may be passing through for retired scholars who have had or near the Washington, DC area. The Revd Dr Peter Davison (1955) distinguished academic careers and are For the last seven years Sabine and still actively engaged in research that Dermot Glynn (1959) I have lived in Dundas, Ontario, is related to ethics and leadership. Very pleased to say my eldest conveniently close to our three sons and granddaughter has been offered a their spouses, our six grandchildren, and Anthony Sperryn (1957) place, subject to A-Level results, to my sister and her family. In the last year, Anybody who wants to see what I have read physics at Balliol. for the second time, I have been interim been occupied with of late is invited priest-in-charge at St James, Dundas, to Google my name (and search the The Revd Dafydd Miles Board (1959) but I expect to be back in retirement by extended entry). Also, to look at the Since my web-based poetic/allusive the summer. Many of us are concerned public items on my Facebook page, work on motherhood, inc. Alma with the political populism which in particular, my album ‘My Claim Mater, to which I devoted all my seems to be a mask for libertarianism to Fame’. This is not journalism creative effort this last decade (http:// at best, or neo-fascism at worst. May in a conventional sense, but it is a conceptabercraf.com/new3/storymaster. we find leaders who will care not only contribution to the cause of saving html if you’d like to follow icons to my for the common good today but for the our world and caring for its people. I rich Oxford Years), I’ve had a baleful well-being of future generations whose spend quite a lot of time reading and reminder of getting ill at Holywell future is precarious. Part of my hope commenting on various, mostly political Manor with a sort of derivative resides in Balliol and its succeeding Facebook pages and websites. This is, smallpox and encephalitis in 1962. In generations of members. Floreat Domus! incidentally, party political, but my basis the affected arm where all that started is my membership of the Church of from that Balliol-time vaccination gone Professor Thomas Sherman (1956) England, which, at present, seems to be very wrong, I’ve had two recent cancer Book published by Oxford University getting it more or less right. I would add operations, the latest in November Press in 2018, which makes reference that I am on public record for stating 2018, which removed all the lymph to A.G. Ogston (1929, Fellow and Tutor my view that the policies of the current glands from the damaged underarm. in Physiology, 1937–1960), Baruch British Conservative government are Plus slight leukaemia. Frankly, the Blumberg (Master 1989–1994), Oliver incompatible with Christianity. worst of it has been paralysing fatigue. Smithies (1943 and Honorary Fellow No matter. I’ve had 80 fine years, for 2004–2017), and R.P. Bell (1924, Sir Richard Heygate Bt (1958) Pete’s sake! All passion duly spent. But I Fellow 1933–1967, Honorary Fellow I am still enjoying my unique role do not lack support. My close family of 1967–1996). Entitled Energy, Entropy, and as international consultant to one of 29 progeny plus partners and offspring the Flow of Nature, it has been kindly China’s largest state owned entities.