THE TERMLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR EXONIANS
LONG VACATION 2014
Welcome... to the latest edition of Exeter Matters, the termly electronic newsletter for Exonians.
RECTOR’S NEWS It’s been a fantastic 10 years. As I look back, on my last day as Rector, all sorts of moments flash into my mind. There was the SCR Eight, which included the Bursar, the Chaplain, the Accountant and the Development Director, but capsized dramatically one day, dumping us all into the Thames. There were the evenings when I came out into a wintery Back Quad, to hear the ethereal sound of the choir practising for Evensong in the Chapel. There were the sessions in front of the gas fire in my office with students worrying about
Frances Cairncross choosing a career, or alumni visiting to rebuild links with their College past. There was The Walk from Exeter Cathedral to the College to kick off the feast of events through our 700th year. And there has been the 10-day visit this month to the graves and memorials of the Exonians who died on the Western Front in the First World War. This last pilgrimage, made in the company of our Chaplain, Andrew Allen, has brought home to me what an impressive contribution Exonians made in that terrible conflict. It was not just those who paid with their youth and their lives, although that was harrowing, but also three whose fame has survived. They are “Tubby” Clayton, who founded Talbot House (TocH) where men left their rank at the door and could find calm and contemplation; Sir Reginald Blomfield, who designed so manyof the cemeteries and memorials we visited, including the profoundly moving Sword The walk from Exeter to Exeter of Sacrifice and the great arch of the Menin Gate; and Sir Hubert Parry, who died of Spanish flu in 1918, after composing his “Songs of Farewell”, a rejection of the triumphalism of that dreadful War. All were people who were shaped by the College, and of whom Exeter can be rightly proud. The weekend before I set off to France, I turned 70, and had a splendid birthday party in Oxford Town Hall. We invited all the College staff, and booked a Scottish ceilidh band. Almost everyone managed to dance Strip the Willow, the Dashing White Sergeant and the Gay Gordons. The evening ended with a 60s disco manned by Tom Coombes, our irrepressible Porter. I won’t quickly forget the sight of my daughter persuading the Bursar to jive.
Exonian war grave, Duisans My last big College event, the grand tea 10 days ago, was a wonderful grand finale. British Cemetery It was bittersweet to see so many friendly and familiar faces, who have given me so
| 2 LONGMICHAELMAS VACATION TERM 2014 2010 much support and friendship, knowing that our paths will now diverge. I couldn’t quite recognise myself in John Leighfield’s wonderful speech. I will be moving to London, where Hamish and I have lived in the same tall Islington house since 1973 and have decided to stay put – all those stairs will keep us alive! I will keep my email address for the time being. Meanwhile, at 10.30pm tonight, Hamish and I will drive off in my cousin’s 1931 Rolls Royce, which his father acquired in 1956. We want to leave in style!
Rector’s farewell tea party It is a big relief and a great pleasure to leave the College in the capable hands of Rick Trainor. He and his wife are already unpacking in the Lodgings and making friends among the alumni. I do hope that they will enjoy their time in this wonderful, welcoming College as much as Hamish and I have done. It’s been unforgettable. Thank you all for making it so. Frances Cairncross
As incoming Rector I would like to express heartfelt thanks to my predecessor, Frances Cairncross, not only for all her splendid achievements for Exeter over the past 10 years but also for the extraordinarily warm welcome that she and her husband Hamish McRae have given to
Sir Rick Trainor me and to my wife Marguerite Dupree as we prepare to live in College. Indeed we have had a very positive reception from all the Exonians that we have met – at the ‘pre-election’ lunch in College in October 2013, at the College’s 700th birthday celebrations on 4 April 2014, in parallel festivities in New York the following weekend, in our various visits to the College during the past year (when we have met a large number of Fellows, students and staff) and as we began to move in to the Rector’s Lodgings earlier this month. We look forward to meeting many more Exonians during the coming months – in College, in London and on visits to destinations such as Canada, the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Founder’s Day celebrations Exeter is a great college, with a very promising future as well as seven centuries of on 4 April 2014 highly substantial accomplishments. It has accelerated its progress in recent years, increasing its prominence, opening itself ever more to the world beyond Oxford, achieving record-breaking proportions of alumni giving and undertaking the innovative Walton Street project. I believe that in the years ahead, with the help of the whole of Exeter’s exceptionally harmonious family, we can achieve even more, enhancing Exeter’s standing as one of Oxford’s, and the world’s, leading academic institutions. There can be no doubt that whatever Exeter achieves over the next several years will owe a great deal to Frances Cairncross. Like all Exonians, Marguerite and I wish her and Hamish very well in the years ahead and hope that they will remain actively engaged with the College to which they have contributed so much. Festivities in New York, April 2014 Sir Rick Trainor
| 3 LONGMICHAELMAS VACATION TERM 2014 2010
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE NEWS Exeter’s Annual Fund beats all previous records The College’s 700th anniversary year ended on a high note, with 45% of all alumni making a gift to Exeter within the 2013-14 financial year, and almost 50% of all undergraduate alumni donating at some level. The Annual Fund raised £899,588 in unrestricted income in 2013-14, more than ever before. The income will provide vital support for students who require financial assistance, much needed funding for the Walton Street development and crucial subsidising of our outstanding tutorial system. Thank you to all donors for your support! Rector-elect visits alumni in Canada Exeter College’s next Rector, Sir Rick Trainor, visited alumni and friends of the College in Canada earlier this month. On 16 September Sir Rick met with alumni and friends of the College in Saskatoon where they celebrated Exeter College’s close and long-standing connection to Saskatchewan through the Canada Rhodes Scholarships. The following day Sir Rick met a second group of alumni and friends in Toronto to toast the College as it enters its eighth century. Exeter holds entrepreneurs event On 25 September alumni, current students and friends of the College met for the third Exepreneurs gathering, a networking event designed to showcase and celebrate Exeter entrepreneurship. Nigel Glen (1977, Zoology), Isla Finney (1994, Mathematics) and Julia Colegate-Stone (1998, English) spoke about their entrepreneurial careers to date, the challenges faced and the successes they have enjoyed. They offered advice to budding entrepreneurs and sparked a lively discussion on building one’s own business in the current economic climate. Call for feedback on Exeter’s plans for gaudies After a successful series of alumni events during Exeter’s 700th anniversary year, the College is now considering how best to provide reunion opportunities for alumni at gaudies, with a ‘grand gaudy’ and a smaller ‘reunion dinner’ generally at intervals of every five years. We would like to receive feedback from alumni to ensure these events meet your preferences. To view the proposed reunion schedule and to offer feedback please click here. 2014 edition of Exon magazine published The 2014 edition of Exeter College’s magazine for alumni and current members of the College, Exon, is now available to read online. To mark Exeter’s 700th anniversary, this year the magazine is on the themes of celebration and commemoration. Feature articles include Sir Roger Bannister (1946, Physiological Sciences) 60 years on from breaking the four-minute mile and winning Empire Games gold, Imogen Stubbs (1979, English) reflecting on 35 years of mixed education at Exeter, Peter Auger (Stipendiary Lecturer in English Literature) commemorating 450 years since the birth of Shakespeare, and Charles Outhwaite (1984, Modern History) on celebrating with Champagne. If you have news to share with Exeter’s community, including news of publications, honours, prizes, births, marriages or deaths, please email [email protected]. North America Travel Scholar reports on memorable trip Aideen Carroll, the 2014 North America Travel Scholar, spent the summer exploring mental health law and provision of services in North America. Here she reports on the trip – one of her favourite experiences as an Oxford student to date.
| 4 LONG VACATION 2014 Emily Watson leaves Development Office After eight and a half years at Exeter (four years as a student reading Literae Humaniores then four and a half years as Development Manager running the Annual Fund, with a break in Paris in between) Emily Watson is leaving the College to pursue a career in international development. She is joining an organisation that creates social enterprises in East Africa with the aim of alleviating poverty by improving smallholder agriculture and access to markets. Although she is sad to be leaving such a wonderful College, she hopes to stay an active part of the Exeter community as an Old Member.
COLLEGE NEWS Farewell to Rector Cairncross After 10 years as Rector of Exeter College, Frances Cairncross retires from the post today. She has had a tremendous impact at the College, shaping its future and the lives of students. She will take up the role of Chair of the Court of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh later this year. We wish her the very best and thank her for her tireless work. Many alumni have chosen to mark Frances Cairncross’s tenure with a gift that will be directed towards Walton Street. To date, well over £100,000 has been raised and the names of these donors will be recorded in the room that we name in her honour. To make a gift visit www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/give.
Sir Rick Trainor to be sworn in as Rector Sir Rick Trainor will formally be sworn in as Rector of Exeter College tomorrow. The ceremony will be led by the Sub-Rector, Ms Jeri Johnson, and will take place in the College Chapel at 11am. Students, Fellows and staff are invited to attend and officially to welcome Sir Rick to the role.
Exeter 15th in Norrington Table Exeter College has climbed to 15th in the Norrington Table, the league table of Oxford colleges as measured by finalists’ results. Exeter’s performance was helped by the exceptional number of finalists who obtained firsts: 36% of all finalists. Well done to all Exeter finalists on a marvellous set of results. Earth Sciences students receive University prizes Congratulations to Exeter Earth Sciences students Robert Fox (2011), Rebecca Frew (2011), and Andrew Heard (2012) who have received prestigious prizes for their academic performance. Robert Fox (pictured) received the University’s Gibbs Prize for the best mapping project. Rebecca Frew received the Shell Prize for the best third year performance in Geochemistry. Andrew Heard received the ISC Prize for best performance in geophysics in Year 1, the Keith Cox Prize for best mapping on a second year field trip, and the BP Prize for best performance in second year.
| 5 LONG VACATION 2014 Exonians enjoy 700th anniversary ball Students, alumni, staff, fellows, family and friends came together on 28 June for Exeter College’s 700th anniversary ball. It was the biggest celebration in the College’s history, with over 1,600 revellers. You can see photos from the ball here. Following the success of the 700th Anniversary Ball, this year’s Ball Committee has asked for alumni support to make the 2015 Ball another triumph. The 2015 Ball President, Zoe Jackson, is inviting alumni to sponsor the Ball, directly or through their companies. All profits from the Ball will go to ExVac, the Exeter College student-run charity. Email Zoe at [email protected] if you would like more details.
Exeter publishes history of Tolkien’s life at Exeter College Exeter College has published a fascinating 64-page booklet about the life of JRR Tolkien at Exeter College, written by John Garth, acclaimed author of Tolkien and the Great War. Tolkien at Exeter College: How an Oxford undergraduate created Middle-earth is the story of JRR Tolkien’s life as an undergraduate at Exeter College, from peacetime into war. It is also the tale of how he first created his mythological world in 1914–15. To find out more or to order a copy click here.
Dr Martin Davy to lead Jaguar Land Rover-funded research Dr Martin Davy, Fellow and Tutor in Engineering Science, will lead research into compression ignition in diesel engines funded by Jaguar Land Rover, it has been announced. Dr Davy will lead the research along with Professor Richard Stone, also from the University’s Department of Engineering, at one of two newly created ‘Centres of Excellence for Engine Combustion Research’. The research projects will use the latest physical, optical and simulation resources to explore advances in spark and compression ignition combustion, targeting higher engine efficiency. Exeter Fellows in print Dr Daniela Omlor, Queen Sofía Research Fellow in Modern Peninsular Spanish Literature, has published a new book, Jorge Semprún: Memory’s Long Voyage. Jorge Semprún is a leading writer from the first generation of Spanish Civil War exiles. This book provides a global view of Semprún’s oeuvre and extends literary analysis to texts that have until now received little critical attention. Exeter Fellow in Anthropology Dr Stephen Leonard will publish Polar North: Ways of Speaking, Ways of Belonging on 1 October 2014. It is a story of a year spent in north-west Greenland with the Inugguit people, whose ancient way of life is now in sharp transition in many other respects too. Dr Leonard will also publish in October a book of poetry, Arctic Journal. The poetry is inspired by and written largely during Dr Leonard’s time living in the dark Arctic winter. In March 2015 Emeritus Fellow in Physics Professor Frank Close will publish his latest book, Half Life: The divided life of Bruno Pontecorvo, physicist or spy. Bruno Pontecorvo was a brilliant nuclear physicist who disappeared through the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War. This decision, which split his life into two almost equal halves, probably cost him a share of at least one Nobel Prize. Half Life explores the mystery that surrounded Pontecorvo’s sudden disappearance, his immense value to the Soviet Union, and how he missed the Nobel Prize.
| 6 LONGMICHAELMAS VACATION TERM 2014 2010
UNIVERSITY NEWS Princess Royal opens Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology HRH The Princess Royal opened the new Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology building on the University of Oxford’s Old Road Campus earlier this month. The institute’s research focuses on the causes and treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory diseases that affect many millions of people around the world. Photo credit: Richard Lewisohn / Kennedy Trust. Oxford opens its doors to visitors Some of the hidden treasures of the University of Oxford and its constituent colleges were opened to the public for this year’s Oxford Open Doors weekend earlier this month. A number of events celebrated the 450th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare, including a Shakespeare’s World trail at the Ashmolean Museum and performances from the Creation Theatre in Exeter College, Keble College, the Sheldonian Theatre, and the Museum of Natural History. 101-year project comes to an end A project to write the Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources (DMLBS) was completed this month, 101 years after a letter from Robert Whitwell was printed in The Times proposing the project and calling for volunteers to help. At the end of 2013, the team entered the final word into the 58,000-word dictionary – ‘zythum’, which means ‘an Egyptian beer’. Hans Krebs Tower to be demolished The demolition of the Hans Krebs Tower on Oxford University’s Science Area commenced in August. Professor William James, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Planning and Resources, said at the demolition ceremony: ‘The Hans Krebs Tower has been home to some groundbreaking discoveries in biochemistry but it is also seen as something of an eyesore. We are pleased that we can replace it with a modern, state- of-the-art building which will allow experts in the biosciences in Oxford to carry out new and exciting research that would not previously have been possible.’
OLD MEMBERS’ NEWS Alumni honours and appointments Dr David Goldbloom (1975, Physiological Sciences) was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada on 30 June, 2014. Dr Goldbloom came up to Exeter in 1975 as a Rhodes Scholar. He was honoured for his national leadership as a mental health clinician, educator and advocate, and for his involvement in a range of community endeavours. Henry Brown (1967, Chemistry) has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014. Mr Brown received the honour in recognition of his services to the community in Bath. Professor Dominic Tildesley (1973, Chemistry) has been made president of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He will hold the position until 2016. Professor Tildesley should also be congratulated for receiving an honorary degree from the University of Southampton in July 2014. He undertook his undergraduate degree at Southampton in the early 1970s before coming to Exeter College for post-graduate study. | 7 LONG VACATION 2014 Exonians in print Alan Bennett (1954, Modern History) has edited an anthology of poetry that will be published in October. Six Poets: Hardy to Larkin: An Anthology is a selection of English verse by Mr Bennett’s favourite poets, accompanied by his own enlivening commentary. A new drama by Mr Bennett, Denmark Hill, was broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday, 27 September. The play is an adaptation of an old screenplay recently discovered in Mr Bennett’s literary archive in the Bodleian Library. Dr Rip Bulkeley (1961, PPP) has published Bellingshausen and the Russian Antarctic Expedition, 1819-21. The book examines the little studied story of Bellingshausen, and includes the fullest biography of the celebrated Russian explorer ever published. Paul Gittins (1964, English) has published a selection of poetry entitled Scratching Around. The poems explore experiences of everyday life which are filled with beauty and significance. The collection will be published by Editions Illador in an English edition and also a French/English version. Will Self (1979, PPE) published his new novel, Shark, earlier this month, a prequel to his Booker-shortlisted novel Umbrella. Shark is a stream-of-consciousness novel, without paragraphs or conventional punctuation. It has received glowing reviews from, among others, Sam Leith at The Observer and Jon Day at The Telegraph.
EVENTS Correction: Exeter College Chapel Choir to sing in Westminster Abbey, 14 April and 31 August 2015 The events list that was mailed out with Exon magazine erroneously stated that the Exeter College Chapel Choir will sing in Westminster Cathedral on 14 April and 31 August 2015. They will in fact sing in Westminster Abbey on those dates. For more information click here for the 14 April event and here for the 31 August event. Chapel Dedication Festival, 19 October The Chaplain, the Reverend Andrew Allen, invites alumni and friends of the Chapel to celebrate 155 years since the Chapel’s consecration on 18th October 1859. The evening will begin with a Choral Eucharist where the Choir will sing Schubert’s Mass no. 4 [in C Major], followed by a drinks reception. After the service guests are invited to dine at High Table using their dining rights. 35 Years of Women at Exeter, 25 October To mark 35 years since women were first admitted to study at Exeter, the College welcomes back our female alumnae for a celebration of the varied achievements of women in the Exeter family. The day will include discussion with current students about life for women at Exeter today and a panel of distinguished alumnae reflecting on their careers and achievements to date. Engineering and Physics Dinner, 31 October Fellows, students and alumni who read Engineering and Physics are invited to enjoy a drinks reception, lecture and dinner in Hall. | 8 LONG VACATION 2014 Chemistry and Geology Dinner, 1 November Fellows, students and alumni who read Chemistry and Geology are invited to enjoy a drinks reception, lecture and dinner in Hall. MedSoc Dinner, 22 November Fellows, students and alumni who read Medicine or who are in the medical profession are invited to enjoy a drinks reception, lecture and dinner in Hall.
Exeter in the City Winter Drinks, 25 November We are delighted to invite alumni to our City Drinks event this winter hosted by Jasvinder Nakhwal (1992, Jurisprudence) of Peters & Peters LLP at Bridewell Hall. Our drinks receptions in the city offer a fantastic opportunity to network with other city professionals and current students and to catch up with familiar faces. The new Rector, Sir Rick Trainor, will say a few words of introduction and welcome. There will also be a formal launch of the College’s alumni-student mentoring website. 700th Anniversary Lecture - Peter Jackson, 26 November Current members and alumni of the college are invited to the latest 700th Anniversary Lecture with Peter Jackson, Academy Award winning director, producer and screenwriter known for the Lord of the Rings, Hobbit and Tintin films. A question and answer session will follow the talk. Registration will open one month prior to the event.
Washington DC Lunch, 9 December Alumni based in or near Washington are invited to the Exeter College winter lunch with the new Rector, Sir Rick Trainor. This will be an opportunity to meet Sir Rick and hear about his vision for the College. The Varsity Match, 11 December The 133rd Varsity Match will be held at Twickenham Stadium on 11 December. This year’s match is dedicated to the 27 Oxford Blues and 28 Cambridge Blues who lost their lives in the First World War. Tickets range from £26-£39 and £50 for Blues Village tickets. Alumni who left Exeter within the last two years can buy discounted tickets for £10. Click here for more information. NYC Drinks Reception, 11 December Alumni based in or near New York are invited to a drinks reception at the University of Oxford New York Office. This will be an opportunity to meet the new Rector, Sir Rick Trainor, and hear about his vision for the College.
AND FINALLY... Williams College ranked top US National Liberal Arts College Congratulations to Williams College, Massachusetts, which has once again been ranked the top US national liberal arts college in the US News Best Colleges Rankings. Williams College is affiliated with Exeter through the Williams at Exeter Programme at Oxford, which enables Williams College students to spend a year studying at Exeter.