ISSUE NO.20 June 2014 Floreat Domus BALLIOL COLLEGE NEWS

BALLIOL CELEBRATES 750YEARS Contents

PAGE 1 From the Master P Ages 38–39 Global Balliol Two Old Members talk to Floreat 750th anniversary Domus about living and working in North America. celebrations Page 7 Pages 8–10 P Age 40 D-Day landings: P Ages 2–3 Honorary Fellows, a testing experience Master’s Seminars, Holywell Manor In the 70th anniversary year of the Festival, 750th Commemoration landings, David Gibling recalls his Page 40 Pages 34–35 Ball, 750th Celebration Weekend, service in the Second World War. Chapel celebrations, the anniversary P Age 41 All downhill from Balliol exhibition and other festive events Simon Lee pays tribute to the Balliol man who introduced downhill skiing Other news to the Winter Olympics. P Age 14 College News P Ages 42–43 Bookshelf Some recently published books by P Ages 25–29 Student News Old Members. Features Development news P Age 30 Oxford at War On the centenary of the First World P Age 44 The Heart of the Matter War, Aoife O’Gorman describes the Balliol scrapbooks and other research findings about Oxford’s war. P Age 31 Balliol Boys’ Club Anna Sander writes about the Balliol Page 31 Page 16 Page 11 Boys’ Club, which influenced the WWI experiences of many. P Ages 32–33 50 years of University Challenge A look back at Balliol’s participation in the ever-popular television programme. P Ages 34–35 Rare breeds Pigs and Boran cattle: two Old Members share their experiences of animal breeding. P Ages 36–37 A life in the law Tom Lowenthal interviews Sir Michael Burton, President of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

Editorial Publication details Editor: Anne Askwith, T hough it may not be quite the last word on activities, interests and achievements Publications and Web Officer the subject, and it is certainly not the first, of Balliol people in College and around ([email protected]) this edition of Floreat Domus aims to sum the world. Editorial advisor: Nicola Trott up the 750th anniversary by capturing as We are tremendously grateful to all Design: RBDA Studio many as possible of the ways in which the who have so generously given their time Print: Hunts College celebrated it. (There is also a briefer by writing articles or being interviewed. Contact details summary at www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/750th- Many thanks, too, to the Senior Tutor, Balliol College anniversary.) But other anniversaries Nicola Trott, and other Fellows and staff Oxford OX1 3BJ are marked in these pages too – of war, who have made suggestions for this issue. Telephone: 01865 277777 University Challenge and even coffee We are always glad to receive ideas for www.balliol.ox.ac.uk drinking; lions (symbolic and real) and articles and comments on the magazine. Front cover: an image of the College’s founding other animals provide another leit motif, in donors, from A W N Pugin’s book of designs for stories and features that reflect some of the Anne Askwith, Editor rebuilding Balliol, 1843; photograph by Anna Sander.

floreat domus balliol college news Ian Taylor Ian

S till more upsetting, if that were T o end on a celebratory note once possible, is the upcoming retirement more, we have recently announced From the Master of Douglas Dupree, our Dean and a new cohort of Honorary Fellows, Chaplain, and an absolute pillar of the whose names we hope represent some By Drummond Bone College for some thirty years. Quite of the spread of talent and success what we do to try and refill the many with which Balliol has been associated College roles that Douglas has in hand – an association we seek to revive That Was the Year That Was. We are now sailing free is going to take some real thinking. by the award of these Fellowships. from the 750th anniversary and its many events, but T he great kitchen refurbishment Indeed it was immensely difficult to hope we leave with you the pleasant memories we is under way, which sadly means that reduce the number of such awards certainly have here in College, and even a renewed the Garden Quad is disfigured by a to a manageable level, so great is the structure which houses a temporary pool of past students and Fellows who enthusiasm for our endeavours. kitchen, though the effect of its are eligible. We hope you can join blank walls is somewhat lightened us in being proud of such a newly I t was done in house, without The 750th celebrations by vinyls from our archives and augmented Fellowship. inappropriate razzmatazz and in College ended as collections which represent some of consequent expense, and it they had begun, with the highlights of Balliol’s history. The a recital in Hall. feeling of a building site is inescapable, concentrated on what Balliol exists Above, the Master for: our intellectual output in both leads the applause however, and the route to the SCR teaching and research. In financial for András Schiff, has become something of an obstacle terms we had been set a target at the who played Bach’s course. The quality of the food both beginning of the campaign in 2006 Goldberg Variations in SCR and Hall seems not to have of raising £30M, and we managed on 1 December 2013. suffered at all, we are pleased to say, to exceed that by well over £2M and we have to thank our Executive – indeed, did we count things the Head Chef, Bertrand Faucheux, and way the University does (including his team for their great flexibility in a proportion of known legacies) we coping with what cannot be the easiest would have exceeded it by nearer £5M. of conditions. Meantime elsewhere That is an enormous credit to your the Magdalen Street façade is under generosity, and also to the work of our wraps for stone re-facing, and there Development Office. is work being done on the sports The end of our anniversary sees pavilion down on the Master’s Field Judy Longworth retiring from her post too. Thinking of sport, Balliol won the as Development Director, which is a Karting (motor sport) Cuppers and great loss indeed, though she will stay the Cuppers Bowl for rugby; the men Executive Head on part-time for a few months. Her Chef Bertrand won the Christ Church Regatta, which successor will be Richard Norman, at Faucheux outside the we hope cheered former coach Nick present Acting Development Director temporary kitchen in Bevan shortly before his untimely at the University of Reading. the Garden Quad death, which saddened us all.

issue no.20 JUNE 2014 1 Ian Taylor Ian

750th anniversary celebrations

The following pages record some of the many ways in which the College marked its 750th anniversary during the year of 2013. You can see videos by Voices from Oxford of many of these The 750th logo was designed by events at www.voicesfromoxford.com/news/balliol-750-video- Mireia Crispin Ortuzar (2011). list/262, as well as a video message from the Master, on the occasion of the anniversary, about the history of Balliol and the outlook for the future. The quotations by Denis Noble (Emeritus Fellow) are from his article ‘Balliol Breaks Barriers’, which can be read in full at the same link.

This article and videoed events are indicated by the Voices from Oxford logo:

2 floreat domus balliol college news Nicholas Penny, FSA is one of the most wide- ranging and universally admired art historians Honorary Fellows of our time. Having started his career at The Master and Fellows marked the ending of the 750th anniversary by electing Cambridge and Manchester Universities, he has since held senior posts at the Ashmolean to Honorary Fellowships these distinguished people in a variety of fields, all of Museum, the National Gallery in London, and whom have past associations with the College, and who represent the wide range the National Gallery of Art in Washington; he of Balliol’s intellectual and cultural reach. was appointed director of London’s National Gallery in 2008. He was Slade Professor of Fine Professor Hagan Bayley, MA PhD FRS Professor Clare Grey, BA DPhil FRS is the Art in Oxford in 1980/81. His publications (1970) is Professor of Chemical Biology in the Geoffrey Moorhouse Gibson Professor of range over sculpture, paintings, and the history Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford. Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry, of taste and collecting. He was a Professorial He is best known for his work at the interface University of Cambridge, and a recognised Fellow at Balliol while Keeper of Western Art between chemistry and biology. He has used world leader in the use of solid state nuclear at the Ashmolean from 1984 to 1989. protein chemistry, organic chemistry, and magnetic resonance (NMR) to study structure Professor Richard Portes, CBE FBA (1962) biophysics to explore the folding, assembly, and and function in inorganic materials. Balliol is Professor of Economics at the London function of transmembrane channels and pores. Junior Research Fellow in Physical Science Business School. He was a Rhodes Scholar These studies have led to the development of 1990–1991, she has pioneered ground-breaking at Balliol and a Fellow of the College protein pores as ‘nanoreactors’. Applications in situ NMR studies of batteries and fuel cells, 1965–1969. He is known internationally for of this methodology have led to the creation which have greatly enhanced understanding of his research on the global financial system. of Oxford Nanopore, which is developing the processes that occur when a battery charges He led proposals to use collective action electronic systems for analysis of single and discharges, and when a fuel cell operates. clauses in sovereign bond markets, following molecules including DNA, RNA and proteins. Charlotte Jones, BA (1986) is one of Britain’s the Mexican crisis of 1994–1995. He is also Professor Sir Christopher Bayly, Litt.D FBA most celebrated playwrights. Her first President of the Centre for Economic Policy FRSL (1963) is Emeritus Vere Harmsworth play, Airswimming, was produced in 1997. Research, a European research network which Professor of Imperial and Naval History at the Subsequent plays include In Flame and Martha, he founded in 1983. University of Cambridge and Emeritus Fellow Josie and the Chinese Elvis (1999), for which Sir Nigel Sheinwald, GCMG (1972) of St Catharine’s College. A wide-ranging she won the Critics’ Circle Most Promising was British Ambassador and Permanent scholar whose work explores across Indian, Playwright award; Humble Boy (2001), which Representative to the European Union imperial, and global history, he has defined premiered at the National Theatre, and was from 2000 to 2003; and Foreign Policy and the agenda of world history for a generation awarded the Critics’ Circle Best New Play Defence Adviser to the Prime Minister from of historians. Whether writing about Indian Award and the People’s Choice Best New 2003 to 2007. From 2007 to 2012, he was the nationalism or the makings of global intellectual Play Award, was nominated for an Olivier British Ambassador to the United States of history, he brings to his subjects a thoughtful Award, and in its New York production was America. He is currently Visiting Professor and penetrating insight into the connections nominated for a Drama Desk Award; The in the Department of War Studies, King’s that in the past as in the present link our world. Dark (2003); The Lightning Play (2006); College London. and Diva in Me (2011), winner of the Argos Professor Rajeev Bhargava, BA MPhil DPhil Angel award. She also writes for television and Stanley Wells, CBE is one of the most (1975) is a noted political theorist, Senior radio: the TV play Bessie and the Bell (2000) distinguished Shakespeare scholars of his age. Fellow and until recently Director of the won the Gold Award at the New York Film He is General Editor of the Penguin edition of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in and TV Festival. She wrote the book to the Shakespeare, and the editor, with Gary Taylor, Delhi. He was previously Professor of Political 2004–2006 West End musical The Woman in John Jowett, and William Montgomery, of Theory at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and White, in collaboration with David Zippel and the landmark Oxford edition of the Complete has been a visiting Fellow at many institutions, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Works (1986). While he worked on the including Harvard, Bristol, Berlin, and Oxford edition he held a Research Fellowship Sciences Po Paris. A large part of his work is Sir Nicholas Kenyon, CBE (1969) was music at Balliol (1980–1988). In 1987 he became on secularism and multiculturalism, in which critic successively of The New Yorker, The Director and Professor of Shakespeare Studies he combines Anglo-Saxon philosophy of the Times and The Observer, and editor of the at the Shakespeare Institute. He is Chairman social sciences with a deep understanding journal Early Music. In 1992 he was appointed of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, a trustee of Indian history and culture. He has played Controller of BBC Radio 3; from 1996 Director of the Rose Theatre, and a Council member of an important role as a public intellectual, of the BBC Proms; and from 2000 Director of the Globe Theatre. In 2007 he was appointed especially in India, and has been willing to the BBC Proms, Live Events and Television CBE for services to literature. Other honours travel anywhere to talk and to debate, so that Classical Music. He is a former member of the include an Honorary Fellowship of UCL and his ideas spread well beyond the ivory tower. AHRC Council and is currently a member of honorary doctorates of Furman University, The Rt Hon Sir Henry Brooke, PC CMG Arts Council England, a board member of Sage South Carolina, and the Universities of (1953) read Greats at Balliol, and was called Gateshead, and a trustee of the Dartington Munich, Hull, Durham, Warwick, Craiova, to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1963. He Hall Trust. He was knighted in 2008 and in and Marburg. became Queen’s Counsel in 1981, a High Court 2011 received the British Academy President’s medal for outstanding service to the arts and Professor Timothy Williamson, FBA FRSE Judge in 1988, and was Chairman of the Law (1973) is Wykeham Professor of Logic at Commission from 1993 to 1995. He became a humanities. From 2007 he has been Managing Director of the Barbican Centre. the University of Oxford. His work centres Lord Justice of Appeal in 1996, and served as on philosophical logic, philosophy of Vice-President of the Court of Appeal’s Civil Professor Loyiso Nongxa, MSc DPhil (1978) language, metaphysics, and epistemology. His Division from 2003 to 2006. has recently retired as Vice-Chancellor of publications include Knowledge and its Limits Professor Peter Donnelly, FRS FMedSci is the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) (Oxford, 2000), The Philosophy of Philosophy Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for in Johannesburg. He came to Balliol as (Blackwell, 2007), Modal Logic as Metaphysics Human Genetics and Professor of Statistical South Africa’s first black Rhodes Scholar and (Oxford, 2013), and over 180 articles. Among Science at the University of Oxford. He was obtained a DPhil in Mathematics. He went on other honours he is a Fellow of the British educated at the University of Queensland and to have a distinguished academic career and Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, at Balliol (1980), and has held chairs at Queen became Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences the Norwegian Academy of Science and Mary College, London, and the University of at the University of the Western Cape and the Letters, and the American Academy of Arts Chicago as well as Oxford. first black Vice-Chancellor of Wits. and Sciences.

issue no.20 JUNE 2014 3

750th anniversary news

The Master’s Seminars: Managing

Global Issues for the Next 75 Years

With six Master’s Seminars, Balliol took the College’s thinking A s well as addressing what the videos of all the events available College is doing as a research online: you can see both edited about the future around the world, inviting alumni to hear and teaching institution, the extracts and full-length versions, talks by Fellows and guest speakers and to play their own part seminars aimed to connect including the question-and- in the debates about the big issues that were the seminars’ with Balliol communities answer sessions that concluded

subjects: environmental matters, international higher across the globe, and to go on each seminar, by going to education, health, communications, economics and recent doing so to the widest possible https://balliol750.secure.force.

audience of alumni, by making com/SiteRegister. developments in the worlds of Maths, Physics and Philosophy.

Clockwise from top left: Former Master Andrew Graham introducing the seminar in Sydney; Carson Wen, chair, with speaker Sarah Thomas in Hong Kong; the European Parliament building where the Brussels seminar took place; Freddie Hamdy talks about robot surgery in Toronto; The Master introduces the seminar in New York; the Brussels seminar; Bill Hutton in San Francisco, talking about reshaping society, business, and the economy in the Fifth Estate.

The Master’s Seminars Unless otherwise noted, the seminars were chaired by the Master

18 March: 22 March: 11 April: 26 June: 28 June: 1 July: Brussels, Sydney, Lowy Hong Kong, Toronto, San Francisco, New York, EU Parliament Institute for offices of University Club offices of Bingham British Consul Building International Policy Goldman Sachs of Toronto McCutchen LLP General’s Residence

A Sustainable Global Power International New Directions The Internet: Einstein’s Society: Shifts Higher in Medicine and Re-Shaping Universe;

Climate Change Education Agriculture Society, Business Do Parallel and Chemistry and Economy Universes Exist?

speakers: chaired by: chaired by: speakers: speakers: speakers: Gideon Henderson Andrew Graham Carson Wen Freddie Hamdy Bill Dutton David Wallace (Fellow at University (former Master) (1977, Partner, (Professorial Fellow (Professorial Fellow (Fairfax Fellow and College, Professor of Jones Day; former and Nuffield and Professor of Tutor in Philosophy) speakers: Earth Sciences and Deputy, National Professor of Surgery) Internet Studies) on quantum Michael Fullilove Co-Director of the People’s Congress, on robot surgery physics and parallel (1997, Chief Thomas S. Mullaney 21st Century Ocean PRC and Guest universes Executive Director Sebastian Shimeld (Associate Professor Institute) on global Professor of the of the Lowy (Julian Huxley of Modern Chinese Brian Foster warming Law School of Sun Institute) Fellow and Tutor in History at Stanford (Professorial Fellow Yat-sen University Dermot O’Hare Zoology) on insect University) and Professor John Wiley (Zhongshan (Hofmeyr- control of Experimental (1983, Chief Septcentenary University) Physics) with Jack Executive Officer, Fellow, Professor Guangzhou) Liebeck (violin) on Lazard Australia) of Chemistry and speakers: Einstein’s love of Tutor in Inorganic Professor Sir music, the Large Chemistry) on Drummond Bone Hadron Collider in carbon effects (Master) Switzerland and Sarah Thomas the Higgs Boson William Barford (Balliol Fellow and (Tutor in Physical dley’s L brarian) Chemistry) on sun Bo i energy

4 floreat domus balliol college news The discreet charm of a Master’s Seminar By Christopher Lord (1977)

More by luck than by judgement, the format of a And across the table, a random The same familiar gambits emerge. Master’s Seminar delivers an experience with a special crop of middle-aged professionals The late Anthony James (1978), a form of Balliol nostalgia that will be familiar to us from various walks of life. There PPE contemporary of mine, used to are some professors and academics, postpone the moment when he had all. For it reproduces with uncanny exactitude the it is true, but even they can share to admit he hadn’t actually written experience of your first tutorial: but with the pleasant the nostalgia, as the topic is an essay by keeping Alan Montefiore adjustment that it is the tutor and not you who has to unlikely to be one they know (Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy read the essay. anything about either. 1961–1995) going with a lengthy So there is that familiar pause discussion of cricket (something he A part from that, yes, you are 18 after the essay, and then the role shrewdly calculated would be a more again, and expected to discuss a reversal continues, and you are attractive topic of conversation for him subject you know nothing about. expected to ask intelligent questions, than Anthony’s views on Immanuel Your interlocutor, you realise, is a as if you were the tutor and the Kant); and at a Master’s Seminar too world expert, but you know that learned professor the pimply you will get a crop of essentially off- you are expected to participate. teenager. Well, there is nothing in topic anecdotes and entirely tangential The quality of the essays, it is fair the regulations prohibiting stupid remarks. But everyone knows that the to assume, is somewhat higher in a questions, of course, but just like essential thing is to keep their balls Master’s Seminar than in the average all those years ago you feel that in the air, and in spite of a certain first-year tutorial, but the knowledge you do not actually want to appear random feeling as people come up gap is about the same. For you might stupid, having after all managed to with increasingly unlikely questions, have Drummond Bone expatiating inveigle yourself into what is said the general mood is one of happy on his decades of experience to be Oxford’s brainiest college. So co-operation and good fellowship. For administering vast educational the questions come, falteringly at looking around, you realise that you and urban renewal schemes around first, but warming up as the speakers are not alone in your predicament, the world; a particle physicist nod encouragingly, with that sort of and that your fellow-attendees, like talking about parallel universes Brian Foster playing bedside manner every tutorial fellow you, are going to try and make the or the minutiae of molecular a duet from a Mozart must develop, doing their best to best of their intellectual shortcomings. violin sonata with lattices; or who knows what dark violinist Jack Liebeck, make it look as if they have never So you are walking through the fire and abstruse corner of human as part of his talk on heard your question before, and that together, and here you are, among endeavour, illuminated by the Einstein’s love of music they will have to think jolly hard your semblables; becoming a part of flickering searchlight of learning. at the New York seminar about the answer. Balliol all over again.

issue no.20 JUNE 2014 5 750th anniversary news All photos ScottAll by Rebecca Holywell Manor Festival

By roBin winKLer (2011)

As the graduate students’ contribution to Balliol’s 750th anniversary celebrations, the MCR hosted the first Holywell Manor Festival in late April. Members of the MCR

over the decades, Holywell manor has provided its students with has been a cherished temporary much more than just an excellent home to thousands of balliol academic training in the past, and graduate students, many of whom of how the college needs to adapt fondly remember its mix of relaxed to maintain its role in the next 750 – domesticity and intellectual or, at any rate, five or so – years. stimulation that is so unique in we, the current graduates, felt oxford. the festival celebrated enormously privileged to spend the not only the achievements of day engaging in stimulating and former ‘manorites’ but also the encouraging conversations with important and often formative former generations of ‘manorites’. role that Holywell manor, as the we are particularly grateful to our physical nucleus of balliol’s graduate speakers for their generosity with community, has played in many an their time: Professor sir george old member’s career and life. alberti (1956), rabbi lionel blue Barney Mayhew organised by the graduate (1950), Professor roger cashmore The Rt Hon the Earl of Gowrie students of the mcr, the festival cmg (1965), bennett freeman revolved around talks by former (1979), the rt Hon the earl of balliol women and men with gowrie (1959), the rt Hon damian distinguished careers in the very green mP (1974), Jo Johnson walks of life that exemplify what mP (1991), Professor dorte rich balliol has long stood for: a rich Jørgensen (1989), sir nicholas tradition of charity and public Kenyon cbe (1969), martin Kettle service, a strong presence at the (1967), Professor dame frances heart of the community, and a good Kirwan dbe (fellow and tutor dose of diversity. speakers addressed in mathematics), charlotte leslie their audiences on important mP (1997), the rt Hon the lord questions in their respective fields, maclennan of rogart Pc (1955), ranging from climate change, Howard marks (1964), barney medicine, and the natural sciences mayhew (1983), leif mills cbe to politics, economics, and religion. (1954), Jonathan moynihan obe central to many talks were the (1967), Professor denis noble cbe questions of how balliol (emeritus fellow), dr raj Patel Leif Mills (1992), Professor Julian Peto (1964), dr rupert read (1984), neil record (1972), ben rowland (1993), the rt Hon lord Justice thorpe (1957), Professor timothy williamson fba, Professor Tapankumar frse (1973), and Professor the Hon Raychaudhuri (1953) robin wilson (1962). many thanks are also due to the Musicians Alex Vai (2012) more than 200 college members and David Favara (2013) and alumni who attended the festival and made this event so stimulating and pleasant. thanks to the generosity of the participants, we raised over £1,500 for the charities toynbee Hall (see Floreat Domus 2010, page 18) and students for Haiti. Denis Noble

6 floreat domus balliol college news The Balliol 750th Abhi Ghosh Commemoration Ball

By GeorGina wooDhouse-hiLLs, BAll PUBlicity officer (2011)

On 21 June, 1,200 of Balliol’s current students, College Members and alumni came together for a night of decadence to celebrate the momentous occasion of the College’s 750th anniversary. Thanks to the hard work of College staff and the Ball Committee, and the

support of students and alumni, the Balliol 750th Commemoration Batty Peter Abhi Ghosh Ball saw the College transformed into a glittering and glorious venue, brimming with delights and extravagant entertainment. after 12 months of extensive a shisha tent in the master’s preparations and hard work, guests garden provided solace for those in white tie and evening attire whose heels were just a little too paraded through balliol’s historic high, and the laid-back atmosphere gates in twos and threes to be served in lecture room XXiii made it the champagne and canapés in the perfect location for comedians, a front Quad in front of two specially magician, acoustic performers, a commissioned carved ice bars, while beat boxer and even a movie. Photo being entertained by balloon artists booths, a professional portrait and circus acts. then the main event photographer, a caricaturist, twistina began, with a breathtaking firework the balloon artist and roaming Abhi Ghosh display, music acts including the photographers were all on hand to original rabbit foot spasm, oxford’s provide mementos of the evening. own dot’s funk odyssey, the robbie for those who had energy to spare boyd band, King charles, and – and dancing skills to showcase, the the evening’s highlight – dJ mark Hall became the setting for ballroom ronson in the main marquee. dancing, a ceilidh and salsa dancing. the entertainment was matched guests later donned headphones to by the equally sumptuous food partake in a silent disco in the main and drink on offer throughout the marquee, which continued until the night. guests indulged in everything early hours. those who made it to from ice cream and macaroons in the very end of the evening were the college colours to traditional treated to a cooked breakfast, before bolitas, Yosushi! and a thai noodle the obligatory ‘survivors’ Photo’ in bar. there were cocktails courtesy of front of the Hall. the mad Hatter cocktail bar along the evening was a huge success, with a whiskey bar in the casino; and the ball committee would once while those with a sweet tooth were again like to extend its thanks to treated to Pimm’s jelly, two chocolate all who helped make the evening fountains, a bailey’s fountain, Krispy possible, and to all the guests who Kreme donuts, and a magnificent helped to make the ball such a nine-tiered birthday cake – although magnificent celebration: we hope it we couldn’t squeeze on all 750 will be a source of happy memories birthday candles. for them for many years to come. Abhi Ghosh AfenyoKafui Oxford Photography Denis Noble writes: I have been at the College long enough to recall that balls were summarily abolished by the JCR itself in the days of the 1968 revolution. But this was the Commem Ball to end all balls. Nobody could possibly have gone round all the Abhi Ghosh shows on offer. They ranged from pop groups in the huge Garden Quad marquee, led by top-of-the bill Mark Ronson, through ballroom dancing and a Scottish ceilidh in the Hall, to concerts by my own group, the Oxford Trobadors, performing rather more quietly in the Chapel. The linguists in the audiences may have noticed that some of those medieval lyrics are quite as racy as modern pop. I had done research for the programme to estimate the likelihood that John de Balliol heard the original troubadours – quite high, as it turns out.

issue no.20 June 2014 7 750th anniversary news All photosAll by Ian Taylor indicated otherwise unless 750th Celebration Weekend Over two days, 27 and 28 September, more than 600 Current Members, Old Members, and guests gathered at Balliol for a celebration that aimed to be, in the Master’s words, ‘enjoyable but also, in a properly Balliol way, stimulating’. each morning people met in subject groups led tours of labs and of the newly developed to hear fellows give a wide range of talks, radcliffe infirmary and new mathematical from ‘balliol’s time in Physics: the first 748 institute in the radcliffe observatory Quarter Years’ to ‘emerging approaches to acute mi (formerly the radcliffe infirmary site). [myocardial infarction]’. among the many as well as the events illustrated here, other subjects covered were the challenges for there were walking tours around oxford, future wireless communications; the biggest visits to view old master drawings in the numbers Professor trefethen has dealt with in ashmolean museum, and an exhibition his career; francesca da rimini; habeas corpus; of photographs produced by the balliol and trust in the financial system. fellows also interdisciplinary institute. 2

1 Student helpers sporting anniversary T-shirts greeted visitors in the Old Common Room with badges and welcome packs. 2 ‘Intellectuals and Believers’: the history presentations, held at the Taylorian, had linked titles such as ‘Why Did Intellectuals Believe in Witchcraft?’ and ‘Why Did Vikings become Christian Believers?’. 3 Seamus Perry (Tutor in English and Fellow Librarian) and Anna Camilleri (College Lecturer) showed the English group items from the College collection of books and manuscripts by the Balliol Victorian poets – Matthew Arnold (1840), Robert Browning (Honorary Fellow) and others – and discussed some of the themes that emerged from the tradition of 19th-century poetry in which Balliol played a prominent role. 4 The ‘Taking Ideas to the Wider World’ seminar: (from left) Martin Conway (Tutor in History), Rory Stewart (1992), Sir John Holmes (1969) and Douglas Dupree

Ian Taylor Ian (Chaplain and Dean). Nicholas Ramsden (2004), Kate Raworth (1990) and Barney Mayhew (1983) were also on the panel. 3 Kate Raworth Kate

Major Benefactors’ Plaque The generosity of many donors has played a vital role in the College’s 750-year history, so it was fitting that the 750th Celebration Weekend included the unveiling of the Major Benefactors’ Plaque by Peter Scott (1956). The plaque honours donors from John de Balliol and Lady Dervorguilla, whose original benefactions founded the College, through to current Old Members and friends of the College who have chosen to be particularly generous to Balliol. 1 4

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5 7 Chris MundayChris 5 ‘The Next 75 Years: A New World Order’ was the subject of two debates at the Sheldonian, chaired by the Master (centre, above and below). Friday’s panel (below) consisted of (left to right) Professor Peter Donnelly (1980), Suzanna Taverne (1979), Stephanie Flanders (1987), Sir Nigel Sheinwald (1972) and Rory Stewart (1992). Saturday’s panel (above) were (left to right) Professor Sir Anthony Leggett (1955), Ilse Treurnicht (1979), Matthew Syed (1991) and Professor Ngaire Woods (1987). Dahlias bred 6 On both days the Master, Fellows, Old Members, and their guests processed down Broad Street to the especially for the Sheldonian Theatre. On Saturday they were led by anniversary (see the Chancellor (page 2). Floreat Domus 2013, page 7) 7 Visitors enjoyed a buffet lunch in Hall on both days. bloomed in newly created beds in 8 Clive Swift took the part of Benjamin Jowett at a the Garden Quad. reading of The Great Jowett by Graham Greene (1922) in the Sheldonian. His son Adam Swift (1980, Emeritus Fellow), was also in the cast. 8

issue no.20 JUNE 2014 9 750th anniversary news

The catering staff served just over 1,200 meals during the 1263 weekend, which required 28 waiting staff on the Friday and The Celebration Weekend 66 on the Saturday. Executive Head Chef Bertrand Faucheux included the official launch explains: ‘We got help from an outside caterer, who prepared the of 1263, a temporary canapés and the buffet lunches, and the Balliol team prepared installation on the flag and served the dinners. We bought 55kg of salmon, 304 guinea tower by Roger Perkins fowls and 23kg of chocolate! The challenge on the Saturday was and Kay Sentance. The to serve twice as many meals as we normally serve in Hall in work honours the founding the marquee and keep the standard high. To make this possible, of the College by John de we hired two walk-in freezers, three walk-in cold rooms and a Balliol and Dervorguilla of finishing kitchen which included eight hot serving points; and Galloway by illuminating that night there were 17 chefs.’ A new Balliol record was set the Oxford skyline at night on the Saturday night, with 400 starters being served in just 10 with ‘light drawings’ of minutes. A total of 155 bottles of champagne, 422 bottles of two divided hearts. These wine and 304 bottles of water were consumed during the two celebrate the story of how, dinners. The Domestic Bursar, Jo Roadknight, praised everyone when her husband died, involved, saying, ‘It ran on rails.’ Dervorguilla had his heart 9 removed, embalmed and placed in an ivory casket, 9 The celebrations concluded which travelled with her on Saturday evening with for the rest of her life and, drinks in the Fellows’ Garden after her own death, was and dinner in a marquee buried with her in a ruined in the Garden Quad, after abbey near Dumfries which Mayor of London Boris Johnson (1983) gave a known subsequently as speech. ‘Sweetheart Abbey’. At first glance the ‘light 10 After two rehearsals, a drawings’ appear to be Scratch Choir performed random and abstracted; music by Handel and Fauré in the Chapel, conducted by however, viewed from a 9 10 number of positions on Illias Thoms (Organ Scholar). Broad Street they appear to re-unite, creating fleeting heart shapes. Denis Noble writes: The installation is made Co-founded by a woman, the for science. Tony Leggett is a world for Olympic gold. The experiments from steel, LED lighting Lady Dervorguilla, a remarkable leader on low-temperature physics that established this outcome were and clear plastic tubing. occurrence in medieval society, the and on superfluidity, for which he incidentally performed on Matthew It was commissioned by College was originally outside the city received a Nobel Prize in 2003; but himself while he was the UK no. 1 in the College for the 750th walls. Now, Broad Street is the centre at Balliol in 1955, he read Greats. table tennis. anniversary under the of activity for town and gown. There It showed, as he used his obvious Over 600 gathered for the two direction of Nicola Trott was, therefore, only a short distance skills in philosophy to explain the celebration dinners. They were (Senior Tutor), with Silja for the celebratory processions to most difficult concepts in modern entertained by cuisine from Executive Baller (2008) and Emily make their way majestically along the physics, quantum mechanics and Head Chef Bertrand Faucheux Magnuson (2009), who street to fill the Sheldonian Theatre relativity. I was reminded of the of a quality that they could only proposed an anniversary for the intellectual centrepieces of beautiful interweaving of philosophy have dreamed of when they were artwork especially to the celebration. and physics that one can find in the students. They were also treated to commemorate Dervorguilla. But this was no navel-gazing writings of the great French physicist two of the greatest comedy acts that journey down memory lane. Instead, Henri Poincaré. Balliol can claim: the Chancellor (on Nobel Prize winners, lords, MPs, How on earth could the humanities the Friday) and the Mayor of London journalists and scientists debated respond to that? It was The Times (on the Saturday). Apart from freely where the world is going in the next 75 journalist Matthew Syed, who read lampooning each other, they rose years. There were two such debates, PPE in 1991, who lit up the scientific to the occasion in their own very one primarily for scientists, the other side of the debate with a bravura different styles, chancelloral gravitas for the humanities. But this was one analysis of how it happens that top contrasting with trademark mayoral of the barriers where the walls were tennis and table tennis players (he is buffoonery. Boris Johnson had brought down in grand style. one himself at Olympic level) react people in the kind of stitches that do Picking out an example from 28 before it is scientifically possible no good at all to one’s digestion of a lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions, that there should be time to do great meal as he whisked us through and panel discussions cannot so by watching the ball. I told him the 750-year history. No stand-up possibly do justice to the events that his answer could stand as a comedian can match him. themselves. But for me personally profound statement of the need Those speeches are on the the essence of the inter-disciplinary for biological science in the 21st Voices from Oxford website, so nature of the occasion was perfectly century to address the challenge readers can indulge vicariously in and symmetrically expressed by of systems, for his answer was a the same pleasure or puzzlement, two panellists on Saturday 28 demonstration of the impossibility depending on your view of alumni September, for it was the scientist of explaining the phenomenon with after-dinner speeches. I was also who made the remarks that lit up reductionist deconstruction of the privileged to capture Boris towards the debate on the humanities side, global information that an organism midnight on a quiet sofa for a brief and a non-scientist who did that uses when fighting for its life – or recorded interview.

10 floreat domus balliol college news Chapel celebrations The cornerstone of the Chapel’s celebrations was the chapel services in michaelmas John Jones Service of Thanksgiving (Choral Matins) held in Oxford term included a special series (1961) writes: at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin on 2 November of addresses on balliol spiritual or cultural leaders: sir anthony On 12 May the historic to give thanks for the preservation, through 750 years, of the Kenny (Honorary fellow) on Chapel silver was on College and ‘for the lives of those who, in every generation . . . John wycliffe; Professor robin le display for Evensong have each in turn enriched the inheritance they received’. Poidevin, Professor of metaphysics, as part of the 750th All current members, alumni and staff were invited. The leeds university, on matthew celebrations. Left to right: the Chalice and preacher was the Very Revd Michael Sadgrove (1968), Dean arnold; sir geoffrey Hill, Professor of Poetry, on r l nettleship Flagon designed for the of Durham Cathedral; his sermon will be published in the and a c bradley; dr lawrence Chapel rebuilt by William Annual Record. The Visitor, Lord Reed, and Judy Longworth goldman, fellow and tutor in Butterfield in 1854–1856; (Development Director) read lessons. The Chapel Choir was History, st Peter’s college oxford, the Nash Plate of the joined by former choir members and organ scholars, and more on r H tawney; the rt revd david 1630s in the middle; and the Sanderson Chalice than 100 people returned to College afterwards for lunch. urquhart, bishop of birmingham, on william temple; and dr carl and Turville Flagon – both schmidt (emeritus fellow) on pre-English Civil War – on balliol’s 700-year-long association was on 16 december at durham gerard manley Hopkins. the series the right. All are arrayed with st lawrence Jewry, guildhall, cathedral, the location recalling concluded in Hilary term 2014 in splendour on the in the city of london, where the the role of the bishop of durham in with the revd dr alison milbank, silver-gilt altar First World master still has a stall, made it a the foundation of balliol. at both university of nottingham, speaking War memorial, which is fitting location on 14 november services the chapel choir sang a on benjamin Jowett, and the hallmarked throughout and for the first of two special services balliol setting of the magnificat and revd John witheridge, sometime would be a glory in any cathedral. of choral evensong. the second nunc dimittis evening canticles Headmaster, charterhouse, Taylor Ian by neil cox, commissioned to on dean stanley commemorate the anniversary. of westminster. Anna Sander Addison Mary The illuminations of John Bray, including this one Whitework altar cloth, from Balliol College MS. 208, Duns Scotus (14th hand embroidered by Mary century), were the subject of the first of a series Addison (Library Assistant) of lunchtime talks called ‘Unlocking Archives’, for the 750th anniversary. launched to mark the anniversary. From ‘Tales of Inspired by a carved the Unexpected’, about an archivist’s discoveries wooded shield above the about the mountaineer George Mallory while door in the Old Library, researching the history of the Chalet des Anglais, Mary’s design depicts to ‘Harold Nicolson’s Diaries: Why They Are flowers that thrive at Balliol Important to the Historian’, the talks are about – tulips, wisteria, dahlias research in Balliol’s special collections. They are and Michaelmas daisies – held monthly at the Balliol Historic Collections around ‘1263’ at one end Centre and are open to all. and ‘2013’ at the other.

issue no.20 June 2014 11 750th anniversary news Domus Scolarium de Balliolo 1263–1913: A 750th Anniversary Exhibition

By Robin Darwall-Smith (Archivist of Magdalen and University Colleges)

When an institution can celebrate its 750th birthday, statutes, issued by John de Balliol’s Oxford (the exhibition also included an essential contribution to the occasion should be a redoubtable widow Dervorguilla in a declaration from Master Richard major exhibition based on its archives. An archive, by 1282, as well as other early statutes Jenkyns to veto the whole project). and charters. Alongside them was There had to be a section devoted providing continuous documentation of its history a group of documents relating to Benjamin Jowett, Balliol’s most from its foundation to the present day, can provide the both to the election of Masters famous Master, but we saw somewhat clearest idea of what it means to have been in existence extending from John Wycliffe in unusual items to show the breadth for three-quarters of a millennium. So Balliol College, 1361 via Benjamin Jowett in 1870 to of his interests: there was an urn 750 years old in 2013, wisely arranged a splendid Baruch Blumberg in 1989, and to a presented to him for helping to found benefaction from another remarkable a university in Auckland; an essay exhibition in its St Cross Centre, curated by Dr John woman, Dame Stephanie Shirley, in by a Japanese student to his friend Jones, its Emeritus Fellow Archivist. 2001. These documents represent Florence Nightingale; and, from the constitutional continuity which long after his death, a play, The Great John has been a member of Balliol is one of the wonders of Oxford’s Jowett, written by Graham Greene for many years, as both a student and oldest colleges: even if the role – who happens to be one of Balliol’s a Fellow. His academic career was of benefactors or the methods of greatest literary figures. devoted to Chemistry; but many of electing Masters have changed Indeed, this exhibition brought us know him best for his work on utterly since medieval times, the together many publications by the archives and the history of his fact remains that Balliol has Balliol members, starting off with college. He has trawled through always had a Master – and has Balliofergus, the College’s first history, damp cellars and dusty storerooms always relied upon the generosity written by its then Master Henry to bring archives or artefacts back of its friends to thrive. Savage and published in 1668. It was to light, and he played a leading There followed sections pleasing to see publications not just role in acquiring a lease and licence which took Balliol from by poets such as Robert Southey or for St Cross Church, Holywell, for Elizabethan times to the Civil scholars in the humanities but also the College, and creating there a store War. Here Balliol could show by scientists, for Balliol has produced for its archives, manuscripts, and rare off its early 17th-century Chapel eminent alumni in all disciplines. books, which is the envy of Oxford. silver, which luckily escaped being One of the more remarkable Above all, there is his splendid history documents on show was an 1 used to pay Charles I’s troops. The of Balliol, first published in 1988. history of Balliol’s buildings was undergraduate essay by Christopher Those of us who have since written James Tassie’s 1787 represented: there was Loggan’s Longuet-Higgins on the structure of College histories have regarded glass paste medallion splendid engraving of 1675, and boron hydrides, which was published John’s book as a valuable model to of Adam Smith (1740), the fascinating plan of the College in the Journal of the Chemical Society follow, thanks to its combination of the image used on the back of £20 notes from 1695, as well as material on in 1943, even before its author had scholarship and readability. the creation of Holywell Manor, but taken his degree. Trying, in a few dozen items, to above all there was one of A W N A celebration of Great Old capture the essence of seven-and- Pugin’s luscious designs for Balliol Members of a college has to tackle a-half centuries of history is no from 1843 – surely one of the greatest the awkward question of what they mean task. Having myself curated architectural might-have-beens in might or might not owe to their an exhibition in 1999 for the 750th

anniversary of a certain college on photosAll by Ian Taylor the High (an anniversary which, I accept, might not pass undisputed by readers of this article), I appreciate the challenge. Does one go for a chronological overview, telling the essence of the story? Does one try to pick out certain themes? What does one do about one’s Great Old Members? John at least had one advantage in his book, which will provide the curious with an overall summary of Balliol’s history. He therefore did not have to dot every ‘i’ in Balliol’s seven-and-a-half centuries, but took the opportunity to explore those stories and themes which he thought were worth sharing with his audience. Nevertheless, the exhibition ought to start with the origins of Balliol – and did, beginning with its earliest

12 floreat domus balliol college news college, or what traces of their Oxford experiences they leave behind. Sometimes, as with Edward Gibbon at Magdalen, the Great Old Member is – unfortunately – very happy to record for posterity his hearty dislike of his alma mater. One of Balliol’s undeniably Great Old Members is the philosopher and economist Adam Smith, who came up in 1740, but who left few traces in Oxford. At least Balliol has benefited from the generosity of later generations, because one of the items on display was a glass paste medallion, one of the few images made of Smith during his lifetime. There was also on show a £20 note depicting Smith – who is, I think, the only Oxonian so far to appear on an English banknote (thanks to Charles Darwin, honours are therefore even with Cambridge). Balliol has been more fortunate with records relating to some of its 20th-century alumni. This exhibition could kill several birds with one stone by including a section on College sports, which exploited A section on Benjamin ‘Frank’ MacCarthy, Dean of Balliol reforming itself, Balliol also began the sporting abilities of some of its Jowett, Master in 1952–1972, holding a flagon and to ‘colonise’, so to speak, many other eminent alumni, such as two Kings 1870–1893, included chalice. The catalogue takes the parts of Oxford. Univ and Magdalen, of Norway, Olav V and Harald a caricature by Spy (Leslie Ward), published opportunity to call him a ‘great Dean where I am Archivist, have both VI, who were keen rowers. One of in Vanity Fair on 26 of Balliol’, who ‘suffered undeserved experienced this. In 1838, Arthur the newest items on show was a February 1876, and a abuse by student hotheads at the end Stanley, in spite of his First at Balliol, photograph of King Harald, invested copy of The Great Jowett of his reign’ (page 24). Sometimes was discouraged from applying for a with an honorary doctorate in 2006, by Graham Greene the catalogue needs some discreet Fellowship there because of suspicions surrounded by current members of (1922), a short radio unravelling: it notes that it was ‘the about his theological orthodoxy. the Balliol College Boat Club and play written for the BBC Vicegerent (Balliol 1961)’ (pages Univ, however, was less interested in evidently enjoying the opportunity to and first broadcast in 1939. 63–64) who arranged for King Stanley’s religion than in his brilliance, relax in their company. Harald to meet members of the and discreetly tweaked its statutes to The final section was devoted Balliol Boat Club; this was actually elect him a Fellow. As hoped, Stanley to Balliol’s 700th anniversary John Jones himself. In short, those transformed the academic standing celebrations of 1963. The College who have enjoyed John’s previous and culture of the College during the clearly celebrated that event in style, works on Balliol will need no next decade. A generation later, in and one hopes that Balliol members further recommendation to add this 1877, Herbert Warren, a product of of 2063 will look back on 2013 and catalogue to their collection. Jowett’s Balliol, was elected a Fellow feel that the College did a good job If I am allowed a College archivist’s of Magdalen. In 1885 Warren – still in that year. moment of regret, it is that no space his thirties – was elected President. He One additional pleasure in seeing could be found to include anything used his position to raise Magdalen the exhibition was to have the chance about Balliol’s estates. It is true that to a position of social and sporting to enjoy the beautiful and well lit Balliol was not endowed with large (albeit not academic) pre-eminence, space of St Cross Church, even if estates, but for many centuries it and he also inherited Jowett’s mantle sometimes one had to retrace one’s was its estates which kept a college as being Oxford’s great networker. steps to follow the items in numerical functioning, and the relationship A detailed study of which Balliol order. The exhibition also came with between a college and its estates is men moved to which Oxford (or a catalogue written by John, which an important one. But there was so Cambridge) colleges, and with what is excellently produced and lavishly much else clamouring for space that effect, would be a fascinating exercise. illustrated. Balliolenses who could something had to give. not see the exhibition are encouraged In any event, this exhibition was 1 John Jones, Balliol College: A History, 2005 (2nd edition, revised), £30. to acquire a copy,2 so that they can both enjoyable and informative, as all at least enjoy it vicariously. Even for the best exhibitions should be. It was 2 Domus Scolarium de Balliolo A display of documents those who saw it, it was a pleasure a splendid way in which to celebrate 1263–2013, illustrated catalogue, with and seals relating to the to read through the catalogue Balliol’s achievements over its first commentary by John Jones (Emeritus College’s foundation Fellow Archivist) and a foreword by afterwards, learning a bit more included the 1284 750 years, and congratulations should Seamus Perry (Fellow Librarian), £10. about what one had just seen. For Charter, which recognises be offered to John for his special example, in relation to his designs the College as a contribution to its anniversary year. for Balliol, we learn that there is no permanent educational In reflecting on Balliol’s evidence that Pugin ever received corporation and that its anniversary, however, I would like to any payment from the College for founder Dervorguilla of add one observation, speaking as an C opies of the above titles are still his work. There are opportunities, Galloway, Lady of Balliol, outsider. The exhibition reminded had named the College available, at the prices given plus also, to look again at aspects of Balliol Domus Scolarium de one of the remarkable things which p&p as appropriate. Enquiries: history: the section on pre-Civil Balliolo (House of the have happened within Balliol within [email protected]. War silver includes a photograph of Scholars of Balliol). the last two centuries, but, whilst

issue no.20 JUNE 2014 13 ColleGe news

Jennifer Balakrishnan New Fellows Jennifer joins balliol as a Junior research fellow in the sciences (mathematics). she is a titchmarsh fellow at oxford’s mathematical institute and was previously a national science foundation mathematical sciences Postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard university. Her research Daniel Butt is focused on explicit approaches to problems in number theory tutor in Political theory, daniel has worked and arithmetic geometry. during the tenure of her Jrf, she will be primarily on questions of historic injustice, studying methods to find rational points on curves, motivated by international injustice, and historic international minhyong Kim’s work on a non-abelian analogue of the chabauty Ian Taylor Ian injustice: he is the author of Rectifying International method. she is also interested in coleman integration and p-adic Injustice: Principles of Compensation and Restitution techniques to compute zeta functions. Between Nations (ouP, 2009). Previously research fellow and tutor in Politics at Keble and then fellow and tutor in Politics at oriel, he returns to oxford after spending four years at the university Adam Smyth of bristol as lecturer in Political tutor in english and university lecturer in the History theory. He teaches contemporary of the book 1450–1650, adam comes to balliol from political theory and the history of birkbeck university, where he was a senior lecturer political thought, and topics he in early modern literature. His publications include is currently working on include Autobiography in Early Modern England (cuP, 2010) colonialism, poverty and moral and Profit and Delight: Printed Miscellanies in England, corruption, environmental justice, 1640–82 (wayne state university Press, 2004). He has a the political theory of trade unionism, particular interest in the inventive materiality of early and parental neutrality and Taylor Ian Brooke modern texts and is working on a book ethical vegetarianism. which explores how early modern Simmons readers cut up, annotated, burnt, a postdoctoral buried, lost, and variously reworked researcher at the their books. as well as editing several Coralia Cartis university and publications, he writes for the Times now balliol’s Henry Literary Supplement and the London

coralia joins balliol as university lecturer in Taylor Ian skynner Junior numerical optimisation and tutorial fellow in Review of Books, and has appeared on research fellow mathematics. she returns to the mathematical radio in the uK and abroad. in astrophysics, institute, where she has been a postdoctoral brooke completed researcher for two years, after five years as lecturer in 2012 her Phd in the school of mathematics at edinburgh on the growth and university. Her research addresses the analysis Charles Conn co-evolution of black and development of useful algorithms for solving holes and galaxies charles conn is warden of rhodes House and heads difficult optimisation problems, namely the over 8 billion years up the rhodes trust. He was previously senior adviser optimisation of real-life processes that may of cosmic time. Her at the gordon & betty moore foundation, where depend in a highly oscillatory way on primary research focus his conservation projects included the wild salmon many parameters. a recent interest is on the connection ecosystems initiative, and investigations around climate is parameter estimation for tuning between the growth change and public lands. He has published in both climate models, a collaboration of supermassive biology and philanthropy journals. charles with geoscientists which requires black holes and their sits on several company and nonprofit optimisation algorithms that host galaxies. she boards, including Patagonia and the use judiciously the expensive mandela rhodes foundation. earlier

Ian Taylor Ian makes extensive use model evaluations that of Hubble space in his career, he was a technology characterise this application. telescope and entrepreneur (co-founding and sloan digital sky leading ticketmaster-citysearch), survey data; uses and a partner of mcKinsey & parametric methods company. a rhodes scholar at Barbara Havelková such as galfit to balliol (1983), charles returns university lecturer at the faculty of law and analyse galaxy light as Professorial fellow. blanesborough fellow and tutor in law, barbara profiles and separate was previously Herchel smith temporary galaxies from their lecturer and fellow in law at emmanuel college, central active galactic cambridge, and cset teaching fellow in eu nuclei (agn); and Randall Woods law at the oxford faculty of law. she also has created her supernumerary fellow and John g winant Visiting worked for clifford chance Prague, own method to Professor of american government, randall is the and trained at the legal service determine bolometric John a cooper distinguished Professor of History at of the european commission luminosities of the university of arkansas. among his books are LBJ: and at the court of Justice obscured agn. she Architect of Ambition (free Press, 2006), of the european union. is also a galaxy Zoo Fulbright: A Biography (cuP, 1995) Her research and teaching scientist. galaxy and Shadow Warrior: William Egan interests include gender Zoo is a project that Colby and the CIA (basic books, 2013). legal studies and feminist mobilises the public He is a past President of the society jurisprudence, equality and to visually classify for Historians of american foreign antidiscrimination law, galaxies, using the rich relations and served as dean of the J. Ian Taylor Ian labour law, constitutional data produced to study william fulbright college of arts and Taylor Ian and eu law. galaxy evolution. sciences from 1999 to 2003.

14 floreat domus balliol college news Edward G. Carmines Christian Wieland Derek supernumerary fellow and John g. winant Visiting Visiting fellow and oliver smithies lecturer Professor of american government (Political (History), christian is Professor of early modern Moulton science), edward is distinguished Professor, warner History at albert-ludwigs-university of freiburg. derek is university o chapman Professor and rudy Professor of Political His research interests include early modern lecturer in science at indiana university; director of the center diplomacy, the Papacy, the history of the european mathematical on american Politics; and director of research at the nobility and the history of infrastructures in early biology and tutor center on congress at indiana university. His research modern europe. He has edited numerous volumes, in mathematics. He focuses on american politics, especially elections, and his publications include Fürsten, received his Phd in public opinion and political behaviour. He has Freunde, Diplomaten: Die römisch- applied mathematics published widely in journals and is the florentinischen Beziehugen unter Paul from the university of co-author of six books, including Issue V (1605–1600) (norm und struktur delaware and was a Evolution: Race and Transformation 20) (Köln/weimar/wien, 2004) postdoctoral researcher of American Politics, with James a and Nach der Fehde: Studien zur in the mathematical stimson (Princeton university Press, Interaktion von Adel und Rechtssystem institute at oxford. 1992) and Reaching Beyond Race, am Beginn der Neuzeit: Bayern 1500– Taylor Ian His research interests with Paul m sniderman (Harvard 1600 (epfendorf am neckar, 2013). are mathematical university Press, 1997). modelling of biological phenomena, especially growth and pattern John G. Ikenberry formation, and understanding Edith Elkind george eastman Visiting Professor (Politics), John nature’s tricks edith is a non-tutorial fellow in computer science is the albert g milbank Professor of Politics and from a (computational game theory). Previously she was international affairs at Princeton university in the mechanical a postdoctoral research fellow at the universities of department of Politics and the woodrow wilson perspective. warwick and liverpool and the Hebrew university school of Public and international affairs, and of Jerusalem, and she held faculty positions at co-director of the Princeton Project on national the university of southampton and nanyang security. author of After Victory: Institutions, Strategic technological university (singapore). she is interested Restraint, and the Rebuilding of Order after Major Wars Taylor Ian in algorithmic game theory – a new research area at (Princeton, 2001) and Reasons of State: Oil Politics and the intersection of computer science the Capacities of American Government and game theory – with a particular (cornell, 1988), he is writing a book emphasis on cooperative games, as entitled Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, well as in computational social Crisis, and Transformation of the Scot choice theory. she is the author American System. He is also co-author of Computational Aspects and editor of other publications and Peterson of Cooperative Game Theory Taylor Ian has published in all the major scot is bingham (morgan & claypool, 2011). academic journals of international research fellow in relations and in policy journals. constitutional studies and Junior research fellow in the social Tara Holm sciences (Politics). Visiting fellow and oliver smithies lecturer David Wark a political scientist (mathematics), tara is an associate Professor in the david returns to balliol (he was fellow and trained in law, he department of mathematics at cornell university. tutor in Physics 1992–2000) as special practised law for 15 before going to cornell she spent a year at the supernumerary fellow and Professor of experimental years in colorado university of connecticut, and was a national Particle Physics, following posts as Professor of before coming to science foundation mathematical sciences research High energy Physics at imperial college london oxford to earn his Postdoctoral fellow for three years at the university of and director of the Particle Physics division at doctoral degree. He california, berkeley. the focus of her research is rutherford appleton laboratory. He is an is interested in the symplectic geometry and its relationships international authority on neutrino constitutional history with combinatorics, algebraic topology physics, and was the recipient of the of the uK and of and algebraic geometry. recent rutherford medal of the institute the us, particularly projects include studying real loci of Physics in 2003. in 2007 he was matters arising from the of symplectic manifolds and the elected a fellow of the royal society relationship between corresponding varieties in real and appointed to the prestigious church and state. His algebraic geometry, and investigating role of international spokesperson for publications include a the topology of symplectic quotients the ‘from tokai to Kamioka’ (t2K) number of articles, as that are orbifolds. experiment in Japan. well as Legally Married: Love and Law in the UK and the US (edinburgh university Kylie Murray Press, 2013), Kylie is a Junior research fellow in the Humanities (english) at balliol and a british academy with iain Postdoctoral fellow in english. Her principal area of research is the literary culture and book mclean. history of medieval and early modern scotland. she has published on arthurian romance, scottish dream literature, anglo-scottish prophecy, and scottish manuscript and print culture. during her doctorate, Kylie held a Knox fellowship at Harvard and a Visiting fellowship in the centre for medieval studies at the university of bristol. at balliol, she is exploring scotland’s unique response Taylor Ian Taylor Ian to medieval europe’s best-selling text, boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy, from 1120 to 1570.

issue no.20 June 2014 15 ColleGe news

New Librarian Balliol’s new Librarian, Naomi Tiley, has come to Oxford following two posts at Cambridge. Inspired to become a librarian by a summer job in Cambridgeshire public libraries, she worked first at St John’s, where the variety and challenges of the work convinced her to stay in College libraries (‘When I wasn’t teaching six- and seven-year-olds about the Fire of London using 17th-century collections and buildings, I might be making a publicly available catalogue of letters exchanged between Greta Garbo and Cecil Beaton or unjamming the photocopier’), and then at Christ’s, where she was ‘privileged to work with another amazing combination of old and new libraries’. Both colleges gave her experience of special collections, which made her realise ‘the power of special collections to inspire and excite just about anyone who has the opportunity to engage with them’.

The Librarian and Assistant Librarian use images of real and imaginary beasts from Gaspar Schott’s Physica curiosa (1662) in outreach sessions with visiting school groups.

new crew, we have been updating that visiting school students will be procedures and systems to ensure the motivated by the experience of getting library runs smoothly’ and ‘working close to unique, historical material to make our service more user-friendly and they will have a chance to test and and responsive’. in doing this, one develop some of the skills they will of naomi’s main pleasures has been need to move on to higher education, meeting the people who use the such as interrogating sources and Balliol’s new library. ‘squash-and-biscuit breaks, articulating complex ideas.’ Librarian, which we offered as a breather during such initiatives support naomi’s Naomi Tiley trinity term, gave me a great chance view that the library – both the space to meet some of our students and hear and the collections – is not just an so balliol’s ‘fantastic special collections their ideas about the library.’ intellectual hub for the college but also of early printed books, manuscripts, Her other challenge is ‘to make something that inspires and involves: archives, and ephemera’ were a big the most of all the library’s assets for a point of interaction for the college part of what drew her to the college. the college’. Having studied access community, alumni and members the appeal of the job, she says, was to special collections for her masters of the public. she invites college that ‘balliol has a first-class library dissertation (http://rarelysited. members old and current to keep in which it takes seriously. i have heard wordpress.com/paper/), she is touch with the library, including via it described, not undeservedly, as convinced ‘a proactive approach by its facebook page (www.facebook. the jewel in the college’s crown. the library staff is necessary to alert com/BalliolCollegeLibrary) and the library is already well used by the people to the existence, interest and manuscripts and archives blog (http:// college community, which understands accessibility of these collections’. to this balliolarchivist.wordpress.com/). the enormous positive impact of a end, as well as supporting anna sander as for the space, naomi is also good library on academic standards. in her work at the st cross Historic looking further ahead. ‘ultimately, we there is an institutional commitment collections centre and adding more would like to make use of the space to preserving the special collections of balliol’s early printed books to the opened up on the broad street site and making them accessible to a wider university’s online catalogue, naomi by the special collections’ move to st audience. with this sort of support, hopes to encourage the use of the cross. the library is a popular place i welcome the challenges on offer at special collections for college teaching, to work and room to sit is currently balliol.’ alumni and outreach events. she is at a premium. using this space one of these is ‘to keep improving making plans with Kate Kettle (the effectively will involve refurbishment, the library so that it provides current david freeman outreach and student a brilliant opportunity to decide what and future students with excellent support officer), who already brings the college wants from its library and support for their learning’. she has school groups to the library, to offer how to future-proof the building, the recruited a new assistant librarian, prospective students a chance to work collections and the service.’ what is fiona godber, formerly of all souls, with the special collections through her vision of the future? ‘i would like and taken the archivist, anna sander, interactive sessions led by library balliol to boast the best college library on to the library team. ‘with this staff, students or fellows. ‘we know in oxford.’

16 floreat domus balliol college news Distinguished Awards and appointments Friends of Oxford Geoffrey Redman-Brown Appointments (1958) has been given the New Year Distinguished Friend of Oxford Honours Arts and Humanities university law school, legal affairs Award, which recognises Research Council editor of The New Republic, and a ‘individuals who have acted 2014 non-resident senior fellow at the as exceptional volunteers for Sir Drummond Bone (master) brookings institution, as well as the benefit of the collegiate the following people were has been appointed as the chair of being a highly regarded journalist University or its colleges’. recognised by the Queen in the arts and Humanities research and the author of several books. The award – which began the new Year Honours list council (aHrc). the minister in 1997 and is run by the 2014: for universities and science, david University’s Directorate of Frances Kirwan, FRS willetts, who announced the Alumni Relations (although (fellow and Professor and appointment, said: ‘His high-level DFOs do not have to be Oxford tutor in mathematics), experience across a range of sectors alumni) – recognises various appointed dbe for services make him well qualified to provide kinds of giving: a long-term to mathematics; a strong contribution to the effort to raise funds; carrying leadership and work of the aHrc.’ out a significant project for Martin West (Honorary the collegiate university; fellow, 1955), fba, emeritus Investigatory introducing Oxford to opinion fellow of all souls college, formers or donors; serving appointed to the order of Powers Tribunal Oxford on committees, internal merit; Sir Michael Burton (1946), a High Banking or external; or representing Stephen John Rimmer court judge, has been appointed Oxford to the wider world. (1981), director general, as President of the investigatory standards body Geoffrey Redman-Brown Powers tribunal. He served as crime and Policing group, Sir Richard Lambert (1963) was a key figure in the Vice President from 2000. He is Home office, appointed has been appointed as leader establishment of Balliol’s interviewed on page 36. to the order of the bath of a new organisation that will Development Office in the (companion) for services to National monitor standards in the uK early 1990s. A member of criminal Justice and Policing banking industry. its creation was the first Balliol Campaign reform. Constitution Center recommended in a report by the Board for ten years, he was Jeffrey Rosen (1986) has been Parliamentary commission on instrumental in securing one of Rebecca Scott appointed as President and chief banking standards. sir richard is the first significant corporate executive officer of the national chancellor of warwick university gifts for the College. He was constitution center. He said on and was cbi director-general Chairman of the Balliol College his appointment: ‘i’m thrilled between 2006 and 2011; he is also Old Members’ Committee and and humbled by the opportunity is a former editor of the Financial remains one of the Appeal . . . the center is . . . a national Times and an ex-member of the Trustees; and he and his wife and international forum for bank of england’s interest rate- organise an annual dinner in constitutional debate and education. setting monetary Policy committee. London for Balliol Old Members. i look forward to working with Balliol is proud to record that the center to host those debates NHS five other alumni have received in Philadelphia, on the internet, Simon Stevens (1984) has been the DFO award: Nicholas de and around the world.’ rosen is a appointed as chief executive of Katzenbach (1947) in 1999; professor at the george washington nHs england. Jonathan Moynihan (1967) and Michael Warburg (1949, Foundation Fellow) in 2010; and Catherine Roe (1980) and Stephen Stamas (1953) Academic awards and elections in 2012. Awards for has made ‘in helping the university James Kirby (2007) and Paul to undertake and translate leading Howard (2003) have been elected The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, presenting Balliol Fellows research that makes a difference to Junior research fellows at trinity Geoffrey Redman-Brown the world’. college, cambridge. Tom Melham (Professor of with the DFO award at computer science and tutor in David Wallace (fairfax fellow Exeter College on 29 June Honourable 2013. computation) has been selected by and tutor in Philosophy) has been oxford university’s mathematical announced by the lse as joint Society of the Physical and life sciences winner of the 2013 lakatos award Inner Temple division for an impact award, for an outstanding contribution to recognising and celebrating the philosophy of science, for his Barbara Lauriat (2006) and the impact of his research into book The Emergent Multiverse James Goudkamp mathematical methods for (ouP, 2012). (blanesborough fellow and eliminating functional errors in tutor in law until mt13) have complex electronic microchip Cambridge elections been elected academic fellows designs. in announcing the award, The Revd Dr Jeremy Morris (1978) by the Honourable society of the the division cited the valuable has been elected master of trinity inner temple. contribution Professor melham Hall, cambridge.

issue no.20 June 2014 17 ColleGe news

Creating aspirations Another Balliol has had an anniversary: Balliol Lower School, Bedford, celebrated its city’s dreaming spires and fascinating 60th anniversary in 2013. To mark it, pupils from years 3, 4 and 5 visited Balliol College. history, i returned to london with The children – the youngest school group to come on such a visit – enjoyed wearing increased inspiration, aspiration and motivation: i was inspired by the gowns to help them imagine being undergraduates. Their head teacher, Kylie Storey, intellectuals i met, aspiring to attend hoped the experience would ‘give them high aspirations for the future’. one of the amazing colleges we visited and motivated to put in the hard the event was one of a number of work to get there . . . this trip has school visits organised by Kate Kettle, encouraged me to . . . aim high and to now in her second year as david aim for the best.’ freeman outreach and student support twenty-five students in years 8 officer (see Floreat Domus 2013, page and 9 at the market bosworth school 3). usually for secondary pupils, visits in leicestershire came to balliol feature a tour and talk, lunch in Hall for a women in science event held and sometimes the opportunity to meet in liaison with talent 2030, which undergraduates. the aims, Kate says, encourages careers in engineering and are ‘to inspire able students to consider manufacturing. during the two-day an application to a selective university, residential visit the group made a site including oxford; to supply them with visit to eurocopter and met engineers, good-quality information about the as well as touring oxford university’s process; and to offer advice on what mathematical institute and attending they can do to prepare for their futures.’ a talk by a Phd student in Physics. the visiting students are often balliol also held two classics taster from schools in the Hertfordshire days with the oxford university local authority, to which balliol is classics faculty. the days were aimed linked, but by no means always. at year 10 and year 11 students who londoner fope Jegede, for example, are interested in understanding came with target oxbridge, a project more about the study of classics at to help more black students get in to university, and included a lecture oxbridge. Her comment is typical by balliol’s adrian Kelly (tutorial of the feedback Kate receives. ‘to fellow in ancient greek language say that the day trip to oxford was and literature). it was the college’s a great one would simply be an first event of this kind – and the first understatement. surrounded by the of more firsts to follow, Kate promises.

Adam von Trott: a European legacy an evening service was held in balliol chapel on 7 november 2013 rights, and policies that set the framework for economic power and to commemorate adam von trott, rhodes scholar at the college provide the space for free and responsible citizenship. these are values from 1931 to 1933. Having trained as a lawyer at göttingen, he came for which we still have to struggle.’ to oxford initially in 1929 for a term at mansfield college. He was a bernhard clemm, adam von trott scholar at mansfield, recalled convinced opponent of nazism, and after going back to germany he that ‘adam’s international horizon, his commitment to democratic joined the diplomatic service, took part in the conspiracy to kill Hitler, values and his sense of pragmatism were developed at oxford in ways and was executed in berlin in august 1944. on the way in to balliol that shaped decisively his later career.’ chapel you can see adam’s name on the wall tablet commemorating graham avery (1961) commented that the inclusion of balliol’s those who died in the second world war. german alumni on the war memorial ‘signifies that the conflict in which the service, which came after a seminar at rhodes House on ‘britain these men died could not destroy their links with this college, which has and germany in europe’ organised on the same day by the adam von traditionally welcomed students from germany and from many other trott memorial appeal, was conducted by the chaplain of countries. it means that to have been a member of this balliol (douglas dupree) with the chaplain of mansfield community is more important than one’s passport; that (tanya rasmussen). the congregation, which included those who have studied here at balliol share an identity visiting students from the university of göttingen, sang that is stronger than war.’ He added: ‘if adam had hymns traditionally used for special occasions at balliol, been at the seminar, he would have made a vigorous which would have been known to adam. contribution. He would have urged our countries to Participants in the seminar also visited balliol’s continue trying to find common solutions to political Historic collections centre at st cross church to see an and economic problems, and to the fundamental exhibition of papers relating to adam von trott prepared questions that surround the future of europe. He by anna sander, archivist and curator of manuscripts. would surely want germany and britain, the countries for the service, adam’s family in germany, including that he knew and loved, to play their part in europe his daughters Verena and clarita, sent a message to promote security, peace and prosperity on our conveying that ‘the legacy of our father and his friends, continent and in the world.’ their discussions, and the documents which they left behind, can still inspire us today, when considering the a full report of the service and the seminar can future of europe. they reflected and planned for the be found at http://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/von-trott rule of law, self-government, decentralisation, minority

18 floreat domus balliol college news Remembering Sir Cecil Spring-Rice

By Chris aLeXanDer (1989)

On 7 June 2013 the British High Commission in Canada combined forces with departing Deputy Consul General in Toronto Ashley Prime to unveil a plaque honouring one of the UK’s and Balliol’s great patriot-diplomats.

Caroline Kenny

sir cecil spring-rice (1878) is best known as the author of ‘i Vow to thee my country’, a poem that gustav Holst later set to music, making it a mainstay of patriotic first world war commemorative hymn-singing around the world. less well known is the fact that spring-rice passed away at rideau Hall, seat of canada’s governors general, on 13 february 1918; that his grave is at beechwood cemetery in ottawa; and that he owed much of his greatest success as a diplomat to his canadian connections. it was on his return from a visit to his brother gerald, who had settled in Pense in spring-rice’s efforts to bring the us His brother gerald built the first electric the assiniboia district of canada’s north-west, into the fight against germany were so power generating station for the city of that spring-rice first met theodore roosevelt. controversial that he sat out the 1916 election, regina, but later died at the somme. the two hit it off, and spring-rice was best retreating to rideau Hall in canada, where at beechwood, where the plaque has man at the future us President’s second his wife’s cousin the duke of devonshire been installed, cecil spring-rice today lies wedding later that year. was governor general. but he kept up a near several of canada’s great ‘confederation like many of Jowett’s students, ‘springy’ full correspondence with roosevelt, who poets’ and sir george eulas foster, a long- went on to a remarkable diplomatic career, continued to batter wilson with speeches from serving conservative minister and one leading in his case to berlin, washington the sidelines, decrying his abandonment of the of canada’s delegates to the Paris Peace (when roosevelt was reforming the civil cause of freedom. conference of 1919. service), tokyo and constantinople. He was ultimately this diplomatic campaign was His greatest legacy is the abiding alliance then charge in tehran and counsellor in st crowned with success. the us declared war on of the us, uK and canada. this balliol Petersburg while his balliol classmate george 6 april 1917 – two days before the canadian classicist’s gravestone is inscribed with the curzon (1878) served as Viceroy of india, corps, four divisions fighting together for the words of ecclesiastes 9:10: ‘whatsoever thy with the great game tapering to a close and first time, launched their bloody assault on hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.’ the entente cordiale and anglo-russian Vimy ridge. convention framing new alliances and a ‘pivot but spring-rice was no longer the man to to europe’. handle wilson as an ally in war and peace. another balliol classmate, edward grey He was recalled to london in early 1918 but (1880), 1st Viscount grey of fallodon and died en route shortly afterwards, after giving foreign secretary, sent spring-rice as british a moving speech to the canadian club of sir cecil spring-rice was also co-author ambassador to washington in 1912. but by ottawa. His funeral at st bartholomew’s of ‘the masque of balliol’ or the balliol the next year, roosevelt was out and woodrow in ottawa was attended by the duke of rhymes, and benefactor of the cecil wilson was President, with the backing devonshire and sir robert borden, canada’s spring-rice memorial fund, which is of a firm isolationist lobby. wilson ran for wartime Prime minister. there was also a awarded annually to those wishing to learn re-election in 1916 as ‘the guy who kept us major memorial service for spring-rice in foreign languages. [americans] out of the war’. washington.

issue no.20 June 2014 19 ColleGe news

Transforming lives in the Middle East and ANERA School Bardala

The Dominic Simpson Memorial Trust goes from all the things that my family now strength to strength. The charity’s aim is to support accept,’ tamara says, ‘not just my education in the Middle East, with an emphasis on mother and father, brothers and sisters but my aunts and uncles and the education of girls and young women – an aim cousins as well: that it is oK for girls based on the values of Dominic Simpson (1982), to have ambitions, to want to study who believed in the power of education to transform hard, to travel outside Palestine, to lives and the need for personal engagement with the work as engineers. they are proud difficulties of the Arab world. Since Floreat Domus of me and they say if she can do this why not me, or my daughters?’ reported on it in 2011, the Trust has awarded nine Her story illustrates that the work new scholarships to girls at the Dar Al Tifl School, of the trust not only improves allowing them to complete secondary school, and access to good-quality education but three more higher education scholarships. It has also also achieves secondary impacts: initiated a programme of support and development improved employment, raised family expectations about what girls can for kindergartens in disadvantaged communities; achieve, strengthened communities continued to support vocational training and the stimulation of investment in the region, monitoring their programmes for girls in Jericho; and equipped a in education by the government and work closely. susan and matthew library and a science lab and provided laptops in other ngos. believe that the trust can have the classrooms for the Bardala Girls School in the north susan cooksley (1982) and most impact by establishing and matthew edwards (1982), both sustaining long-term relationships Jordan Valley. close friends of dominic, are among with such trusted partners. ‘so our the trustees – an involvement that priority for the future is to raise tamara Halasi is one of the young Pupils at Bardala they find ‘immensely rewarding’. funds to support them. we are also women whose lives the trust has School. the trust undertakes work that exploring whether the trust can transformed. with the help of one of otherwise may not be funded, play a more active role in providing its higher education scholarships she concentrating on activities that the women we work with access to graduated in materials engineering have direct practical benefits to networks of people outside Palestine from al Quds university in 2012. she individuals and communities, and who might be able to help them won a place at oxford to continue Lesson in progress, targeting areas where relatively with their study and broaden her studies, but has chosen for now using recently small interventions can make their access to employment and to gain some practical experience donated equipment. a difference. it does all this by educational opportunity.’ to find working as an engineer in the united working with organisations with an out more about the trust, see arab emirates. ‘it is hard to believe Dominic Simpson established presence ‘on the ground’ www.dominicsimpsontrust.org.uk. Bardala School and ANERA School Bardala Kroll

20 floreat domus balliol college news Building capable government in South Sudan

By anGus hawKins (2011) Howard Tytherleigh of the year.’ the first budget of south extent. graham identifies this as one sudan was 98 per cent funded from of the biggest changes in his many oil revenues, while the military leaders years working in the field: ‘twenty- of the former rebel movement that five years ago, if you were british and won independence now occupy most turned up somewhere you could get of the senior government positions. a job with an ngo. now the sector is south sudan once defined itself by its professionalised, and there is a focus opposition to the north: now, however, on providing jobs and finding skills with independence won, ethnic locally, clearly the right approach.’ the divisions have resurfaced. the view of majority of people working on charlie south sudan over the past few years goldsmith associates’ projects in as a ‘post-conflict zone’ is in graham’s south sudan are south sudanese – the opinion ‘way off the mark – the conflict effort, after all, is on building capacity is often controlled, but always present’. and human capital, which happens best charlie hopes that his work can help through the provision of jobs to local South Sudan, the world’s newest country, recently overcome the ongoing conflict in the talent. charlie notes that ‘against all appeared in our news as a nation suffering ethnic country. on improving the reliability the odds, there are a number of people strife. Although the media’s interest in the country of education and health care systems, in south sudan who have secured he says: ‘when these core government a significant amount of education. has since waned, the work of trying to build effective tasks get delivered, people may not there is a massive amount of talent government in the country goes on, with many be so easily roused up to go and kill and aspiration in the country, and the Balliol alumni at the forefront. people they were drinking with and longer you stay the more of it you find.’ watching football with the night before. building capable governments in one such old member is charlie Charlie Goldsmith no one wants anarchy when their child developing african nations may seem goldsmith (1996), whose work on (front row, in white has exams in the morning.’ with this in a far cry from the way they spent their education in south sudan was featured shirt) with his team mind, he is keen to note how important days in balliol, but these old members in a Floreat Domus article in 2007, at it is not to step away from south sudan, are still influenced by their time at which point charlie had been working even when we are greeted with scenes the college. aside from the academic in the country for a year. seven years of violence like those seen before experience, charlie credits his time on later, he remains in africa, managing christmas last year. ‘it worries me the Jcr committee as being a useful his own company (charlie goldsmith when there is a knee-jerk reaction in exercise in learning how people often associates), which provides support to some of the international community care a huge amount if something Joanne Ferry education and health care systems in to revert to “pure” humanitarian aid mundane is done incorrectly: south sudan, as well as sierra leone, after something bad happens; if you excellent experience, he says, ethiopia and the somalias. charlie’s work in fragile states, there will be for a career in public work is not what may first spring to steps backward sometimes: if you administration in mind when one thinks of development: were to withdraw from supporting, for africa. he focuses on making the public sector example, health and education in south in developing countries work better, sudan, as some say, who do you really building payroll systems and helping “punish” – if that’s what you think you in the creation of a functioning public are trying to do? and how do you think administration. asked about why he the citizens of that country will look at chose to work in public administration you when you reappear?’ in developing countries, charlie says: the work of both charlie ‘when you work in the uK, things and graham focuses on local kind of work, and the people involved co-operation to a huge in public service provision are often quite capable. in south sudan, the challenge and opportunity are greater’ and ‘you have to take the moral risk that you might not be as brilliant as you think, either’. working on governance in south sudan is undeniably a challenge. another balliol alum, graham wood (1979), who has been working in developmental and emergency aid in africa, the middle east and asia since St Francis Basic School leaving balliol, and is a now a Vice in Juba, where Charlie President in development organisation Goldsmith’s team piloted Pact, outlines some of the issues. attendance reporting by the recent conflicts, he suggests, SMS, as part of DFID’s Girls’ Education South ‘were inevitable in some ways, in a Sudan programme. Robin brand-new country with pretty much Shawyer (1966) and Nic no infrastructure where half the Ramsden (2004) are also country is cut off by rain for much involved in the programme.

issue no.20 June 2014 21 ColleGe news

Oscar nomination congratulations to baldwin li (2001), whose film The Voorman Problem was nominated for best short film (live action) in the 86th academy awards. The Voorman Problem, which stars martin freeman as a psychologist called to examine a prisoner who believes he is a god, won a bafta nomination last year and has been screened among the official selections at more than 40 film festivals. baldwin described himself as ‘thrilled, exhilarated, jubilant’ on hearing the news. He produced and co-wrote the film with writer/director mark gill; you can read more about the film’s genesis on page 9 of Floreat Domus 2013.

Martin Freeman, star of the Voorman Problem, with writer/director Mark Gill (left) and Baldwin Li (right)

Baldwin Li at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon DFree / Shutterstock.com Mortdecai on screen Charlie Mortdecai, the fictional rogue and After You with the Pistol – published in art dealer created by Kyril Bonfiglioli the 1970s and reissued together as The (1955), is to feature in a film currently in Mortdecai Trilogy (Penguin, 2001) – are production with Lionsgate Films, starring described by many as unsung classics. Johnny Depp as Mortdecai with Gwyneth His fourth Mortdecai novel, The Great Paltrow and Ewan McGregor, and directed Mortdecai Moustache Mystery (Black by David Koepp. Spring Press, 1966), was completed by Bonfiglioli’s three Mortdecai comic Craig Brown after Bonfiglioli’s death in crime novels, Don’t Point That Thing at 1985 and it is this book on which the film Me, Something Nasty in the Woodshed is said to be based.

22 floreat domus balliol college news More prizes for elephants and bees project

Dr Lucy King (2005), whose ground-breaking elephants and bees project has been covered in previous editions of Floreat Domus, has been awarded the 2013 St Andrews Prize for the Environment. lucy’s team (working with oxford university, the prize has helped lucy build a new to asia and see if we can adapt this for asian save the elephants and disney worldwide project office and honey processing room elephants and farmers, using different types of conservation fund) used the discovery that at sagalla, next to tsavo east national Park bees and different elephants’. elephants are scared of african honey bees in southern Kenya, where she hopes to train lucy was also one of the winners of the to create beehive fences which help farmers other farming communities in the area, and future for nature award 2013, presented in Kenya protect their crops from damage by funded her website, elephantsandbees.com, by the primatologist dr Jane goodall, who elephant raids. it is, lucy says, ‘a very holistic where you can read about the project. she praised the winners as examples to the next project’, with multiple benefits. it has enabled hopes that the prize will bring her financial generation of nature conservationists. farmers to increase crop production; with less support, which, she says, will ‘enable us to incidence of conflict between elephants and expand our vital research work around humans, fewer of both are being injured; and africa and protect many more rural the farmers gain income through the sale of farming families from elephant

‘elephant friendly’ honey and bee products. invasions’. a longer-term aim is ‘to go E. King Dr Lucy

A Balliol 375th anniversary

By martin Burton (reseArch felloW in clinicAl Medicine) in 1639 nathaniel conopius came to this was apparently the today the college’s connection 1 Wood, A A, and P Bliss, balliol from constantinople, as a refugee introduction of coffee drinking with coffee continues, through an Athenae Oxonienses . . . To from persecution. He brought with him not only to oxford but also to association, via the oxford martin which are added the fasti or an eastern habit that was to become western europe.2 school and its director and balliol annals of the said university, universally popular: coffee drinking. conopius is said to have taken fellow ian goldin, with andrea etc., new ed. with additions the reasons for conopius’s flight the degree of bachelor of divinity illy, chairman and ceo of illycaffè and a continuation by Philip Bliss (1813: London). are well described by wood: in 1642 or 1643, but he did not stay s.p.a. the famous italian coffee long in oxford. He was sponsored business – and, of course, in the 2 Rackham, O, Treasures of Silver at Corpus Christi Nathaniel Conopius, a by archbishop laud and charles enthusiasm with which members i, and in ‘1645, with the war going consume it . College, Cambridge Cretan born, trained up in (Cambridge: CUP, 2002). badly for the king, he left oxford the Greek church, and became 3 Doll, P M, Anglicanism and primore to Cyrill, Patriarch of for the university of leyden in the netherlands’.3 He subsequently Orthodoxy 300 years after Constantinople . . . When the said the ‘Greek College’ in Oxford Cyrill was strangled by the visier returned and (Peter Lang, 2006). (the grand seignior of the Turks 4 Wood, A A, and P Bliss, being not then returned from Athenae Oxonienses, op. cit. . . . he became one of the

the siege of Babylon) Conopius, iStockphoto/woraput to avoid the like barbarity, fled chaplains or petty canons thence and went to England, of Christ Church . . . In the and addressing himself with beginning of Nov. 1648 he credentials . . . to Dr. Laud, was expelled the university Archbishop of Canterbury, by the barbarians, I mean the that worthy person sent him to parliamentarian visitors, and Balliol Coll. and allowed him a had nothing left to maintain comfortable subsistence during him as a scholar and a divine. his abode there . . . It was observed So that because of the barbarity that while he continued in Bal. of such who called themselves Coll. he made the drink for his saints, and the godly party, he own use called coffee, and usually returned into his own country drank it every morning, being the among the barbarians, and first, as the antients of that house was made bishop of Smyrna have informed me, that was called Le Smerne, about 4 ever drunk in Oxon.1 the year 1651.

issue no.20 June 2014 23 ColleGe news

The John Beecher Memorial Fund An anonymous donor has helped the John Beecher Memorial Fund get off to a great start.

the fund was established in 2013 to areas for which John was passionate. the to the fund. the old member, who came commemorate the life of John beecher mcr, which will propose and choose to balliol as a graduate in 1993, believes (2011), who died of cancer at the age of 25 the projects, are still working with the that ‘such opportunities are critical to in his second year as a graduate student on college on how best to do this, but have young adults as they figure out their path 12.12.12. ‘John was a lovely, quiet man,’ his two particular things in mind. the first is in life and ultimately their contribution friend davis mccarthy (2011) remembers. to provide small grants towards academic back to society’. thanks to the donor’s ‘He was probably the most astoundingly travel. ‘many graduates, particularly generosity and that of others who have literate person i have ever met. He came those in the humanities, find themselves already contributed, the fund will be able to balliol to study history, but i think he short of funding to attend conferences or to help graduate students blossom and had a better knowledge and understanding archives, missing out on great academic flourish while at balliol as, all too briefly, of literature than anyone else in the mcr. opportunities,’ davis explains. the other is John did. He had a wonderful wry sense of humour. to help stage a play in the sunken garden at He was also passionate, especially about Holywell manor, as ‘John was very keen on social justice and vegetarianism. He was theatre and worked, typically behind the self-deprecating, but great company. He scenes, on a number of shows. we think all donations to the John beecher loved the academic atmosphere at oxford this would be a good way to add something memorial fund will be gratefully – it suited him to a t – and i think he extra to life in the manor.’ received. those from graduate students had found a place to flourish.’ ‘John really a desire to help ‘create opportunities and graduates who left at the end of blossomed at oxford,’ his father wrote in and unique experiences for students to the academic year 2012/2013 will be his obituary in the Guardian. enrich their education in ways that might matched pound for pound, up to £3,000. the fund will be used to advance not be possible otherwise’ was what donations can be made at the intellectual life of graduate students motivated the anonymous donor, who will www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/beecher. at balliol, with an emphasis on those provide matching funds for young donors

Holywell manor in four seasons, by Spencer Heijnen (2012). The photograph has been framed and now hangs in Holywell Manor.

24 floreat domus balliol college news student news Balliol for Big Cats

By aLeXanDer BraCZKowsKi (2013)

Whether it be Wadham’s scallop shells, Campion Hall’s wolf head or St Hilda’s mythical unicorn, wildlife adorns the coats of arms of 25 of Oxford’s colleges and halls. Naturally, most of these relate to their founding fathers, while some commemorate a benefactor. In either case, the animals on them have been chosen to express something about whomever or whatever they represent.

close on 200,000 individuals. Protective cattle farmers, trophy hunters, poachers and a burgeoning human population in need of land are the key factors driving this decline. at this point i’d expect you to ask whether the fact that the lion features in balliol’s arms warrants the college becoming involved in its conservation. similarly, we could extend this question and featured talks by prominent big cat to corporate giants like apple and biologists: Professor david macdonald Kellogg’s, and ask them why, when (balliol research fellow in biological commercial branding activities make sciences 1976–1979), director of the use of names like the snow leopard wildlife conservation research unit (for an operating system) or tony the in oxford’s department of Zoology; dr tiger (on a box of frosties), they do amy dickman, Kaplan research fellow not somehow give back to the species in felid conservation at Pembroke as a student in zoology, when i joined Tutilo Mudumba which they use in their advertising. i college and based at the same unit; and balliol as a graduate i couldn’t help releases a lion from considered this question and came to mohammad farhadinia, a co-founder of but notice the college’s coat of arms: a a snare. the conclusion that balliol could help the iranian cheetah society. crowned lion rampant, combined with the lion a little. the event was a ‘roaring’ success: the the balliol orle. although the running thus balliol graduates teamed balliol leg raised a third of the fundraising lion represents the lion of galloway up with private funders from the goal, and provided an important base on the seal of dervorguilla that is crowdfunding website indiegogo.com for the crowdfunding campaign, which attached to the statutes she gave the to help raise funds for lion conservation raised the remainder. tutilo continues college in 1282, it incidentally evokes in africa. we picked a small project his lion work today, with specific goals the lion in the royal arms of scotland in uganda’s murchison falls national of stemming the spread of snaring, and and her husband John de balliol’s role Park that was in dire need of resources researching the impact of oil exploration as a protector of the young scottish to stem the rapid decline of the on lions in the park. king, alexander iii. and it seems to me park’s lions. these now number 90 though a college in oxford may seem apt in other ways. balliol’s history as a individuals; a decade ago there were a long way from a population of lions in progressive college is dotted with actions about 300. we picked a realistic target africa, i feel that the distance may not that were bold and lion-like in their of £1,200, which would purchase be as great as it seems. i think it’s about time, such as those students who stood an outboard boat motor to help the whether lions matter to you, what they up against the human rights abuses in project’s leader, tutilo mudumba, stand for and the fact that you have one south africa, and the college being patrol a section of the albert nile on your college crest. for me, the distance amongst the first to accept students of river known for its high incidence of is insignificant; many of my graduate A male lion asiatic and indian descent. but i couldn’t maimed by lion snaring. we organised a cheese friends feel the same. we hope to see the help ponder, too, on the lion’s wild a snare. and wine event entitled ‘balliol for big rampant lion live on, both on our coat of counterpart and whether it will soon cats’, which took place on 4 may 2013 arms and in the wilderness of africa. become nothing more than a symbol for balliol, and for the families and institutions that use it on their blazons. for if we leave oxford and pan to africa, where real lions roam, we find the wild lion population in crisis. reports from the scientific community suggest they have virtually vanished from west africa, and the majority of the estimated 32,000–35,000 lions remaining on the continent occur in only seven population strongholds. this doesn’t sound as grave as, for instance, the plight of tigers, which now number just 3,000 animals. However, the lion figures are sobering in light of the fact that a century ago africa’s lions numbered

issue no.20 June 2014 25 student news

Bo at camp Christ Church Regatta triump h ‘Roar lion roar’ was one of the many cheers that resounded around College when By John CLarK-maXweLL (2012), BcBc cAPtAin Balliol’s novices won the Christ Church Regatta on 30 November 2013, beating For most of the squad, the pre-Michaelmas Trinity in the final. Term training camp was our first boat camp at Balliol, and we did not know what to expect. Floreat Domus met cox toby dirnhuber and the crew paid tribute to their ‘extremely Over five days we were to be coached by Peter stroke Victor Porras, who, like the rest of the dedicated’ coach, nick fulton, who from the Haining, in his last week with Balliol before winning crew, had started rowing only six beginning had concentrated on developing heading to new things, and by Nick Fulton, our weeks or so before, having been persuaded power as well as technique. they also new coach. The aim was to make the technical in freshers’ week to ‘give it a go’. winning, expressed their appreciation of John clark- changes necessary for us to jump from being Victor said, was ‘so much fun’. their victory, maxwell, bcbc’s captain, for all his work and good second boat rowers to being able to they believed, was vindication of bcbc’s new encouragement. John was delighted to see compete for places in the first boat. policy of giving the novices a professional the ‘raw talent’ of all the new recruits being Typically we started the day with a session coach; and it was all the sweeter as the crew translated into ‘people enjoying themselves’ in fours on the water, changing the crews had lost to trinity in the semi-finals of on the river. Victor, for one, had discovered round every day and training side by side. the nepthys regatta only the week before. the satisfaction of being part of ‘a very Next we went either to the OUBC tank or to fighting back from that, in the last week interdependent team where no one is the only the gym, where there was an exciting sense before the christ church regatta they reached star of the show’ while louis said: ‘it’s amazing of teamwork: you have the satisfaction of a point when ‘everything just clicked’. beating to have the opportunity to go from being knowing that you have to push yourself, the favourite, christ church, in the last ten a complete novice to racing in christ church in because the man next to you is doing that too. strokes in the quarter-finals – ‘we pulled a matter of weeks. it’s a real testament to balliol In the tank we focused on taking the stroke ahead towards the end to sneak through to that it trains people so well.’ their win had one element at a time, breaking it down and the semi-finals by half a boat length’, said motivated them and 20 other novices to carry paying attention to every detail – hard work another crew member, louis chambers – on rowing the following term – an unusually mentally as well as physically, but always was also a key moment. large number that bodes well for bcbc’s future. encouraged by the expert eye of the coaches. In the afternoon there was another session on the water, often in the eight, focusing on pulling together and introducing some race pressure pieces to get the adrenaline pumping. Dinner together was next on the schedule, and then some well-earned rest. At the end of the week, we took a boat to the Reading Small Boats Head. Taking part in the IM3 4+ category (coxed fours with experience but no major wins), in a time trial format, gave us our first racing of the season. It was a long race, of some 4,700 metres, with competition coming from Reading Rowing Club and Eton. Hitting a good rhythm early, we kept strong to the end and came second, behind the strong Reading crew on their home water but beating both the Eton crews. This was a good result, especially given that for Baldwin Alix most of the crew it was their first experience of racing outside Oxford, and that we had had less training than the clubs and schools, as our term starts later. Overall, the camp was a great experience and we really enjoyed the time we spent together as a squad. The amount of technical work that is possible in four really focused days of training is worth roughly four weeks of term time, and the resulting improvements in understanding of the sport mean that all subsequent time spent rowing can be spent more effectively.

Pre-term training camps for men and women are made possible by the BCBC Training Fund, which Neville Mullany (1950) started in 2004. Neville asks anyone who would like to help keep the fund topped up – ‘to put something back for the fun we had in BCBC’ – to contact him c/o the Development Office at [email protected] or the postal address on the inside front cover. The winning crew: bow Matthew Lynch, 2 Giles Gardam, 3 Benedict Simon, 4 Thomas McDonald, 5 Louis Chambers, 6 Laurence Warner, 7 Laurent Stephenson, stroke Victor Porras and cox Tobias Dirnhuber. Substitutes used were Harvey Ellis and Tushar Kelkar, and the coach was Nicholas Fulton.

26 floreat domus balliol college news Winning satire The 2013 Bob and Jeannie Heller Prize for the best piece of satirical writing was awarded jointly. Here are the two winning entries.

Child’s Play: a banker comments on the state of the economy A Modern Decalogue By aLeX Bartram (2011) By hoLLY marriott weBB (2012) as an experienced wealth-creator in my own two- am the lord thy god, twitter, which have brought thee out of the dimensional sector, i feel i can say with some confidence land of obscurity, out of the house of insignificance. that george osborne’s economic policies have been i misguided – if not completely hopeless. it didn’t help thou shalt have no other gods before me; not sense, nor modesty, that gordon brown before him sold off the water works nor reason. #parisbrownwozhere #thineopinionsareinfallible and the electric company, and that we no longer get the thou shalt not worship false idols, for i the lord thy god am a jealous bonus from owning all four train stations, but osborne god, visiting the plague of the troll on those who hate me, whilst is definitely not improving the situation. He’s cut the protecting the vanities of those that love me. #spamtheunbelievers income tax and the luxury tax, two key components of #whatyouhadforbreakfastisinterestingandvitallyimportant state revenue, but even worse, he’s neglecting the real key to wealth creation: the acquisition and long-term thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain, nor scorn development of the orange squares into a profit-making the members of his community: for the lord will not hold him guiltless sector. my suggestion to him is to implement a new, that taketh his name in vain, he will ostracise him. #twit #twatter progressive form of location-based taxation, where those #twatosphere passing by more upmarket areas bear a greater share remember not the sabbath day; the lord our god twitter never did of the burden – if you’re walking around Park lane or rest on sunday, neither shall you. #tweetinginchurch #tweetinginbed mayfair, you can afford to pay a bit more than the poor #tweetingonthetoilet wretches down the old Kent road. combine that with some extensive property development, have a look at Honour @mom and @dad, for it is they who birthed the dexterous restructuring the hotel industry, and you’re laughing. fingers and great minds that typeth god’s Holy twitterings. osborne seems just to be hoping to pass ‘go’ sometime thou shalt not kill, but thou shalt incite violence against those the soon and get the money from there. thatcher did always twittersphere righteously judges guilty. #allmuslimsareterrorists say that there was no such thing as the community #allbbcstaffarepaedos chest, but this government cannot continue to leave

everything to chance. iStockphoto/NoDerog thou shalt not commit adultery, unless it shall trend. #marr #bojo iStockphoto/duckycards #giggs #andycoulsonrebeccabrooks thou shalt not steal, unless god can help with the logistics. #looting thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. *innocent face* thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, his wife, or his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass. only his followers. #allmenareequalapartfromtheoneswithnofollowers #obey

As related to Hol(l)y Marriott Webb at the summit of Mount Sinai(n)

Judo success Congratulations to Max Denning, who won the individual championships (at 90kg) while representing Oxford Judo at the British Universities and Colleges Sport competition. He also led the Oxford team to a silver medal. As a result, Max and one other Oxford student joined the British Universities/Oxford team for the European university championships in Portugal. He ended up being placed equal seventh, ‘after losing to a French gentlemen in the quarter-finals and a Dutchman in the repêchage’, and declared it ‘an all-round incredible experience’.

issue no.20 June 2014 27 student news Student Summer camp in Beijing By anna BLum (2011) project last summer, i was lucky enough to spend four emphasises being able to memorise and recite weeks in china teaching english at tsinghua back information, and classes are primarily university in beijing. i was a volunteer at taught through lecturing. in contrast, my the english summer camp run by tsinghua experience in school and at university had always grants university, which had invited students from emphasised thinking creatively and originally universities in the us and uK to teach english about material as an essential part of learning. i Each year a number of to first-year students at tsinghua. for a month, i initially found it difficult to teach students who students are successful in their lived in tsinghua’s dormitories, ate in their dining found it odd when we asked them questions or applications for College grants for halls and had a unique opportunity to understand encouraged them to propose their own views the life of a student at university in china. on issues, just as they initially thought it was academic-related projects. These i applied to the internship through the oxford inappropriate to give their own views in the grants are made possible by university careers service, not really knowing classroom. to me, this difference in educational generous bequests and donations what to expect. i knew that i wanted a chance philosophy was particularly thought-provoking, from Old Members and others, to travel to an area of the world to which i had especially considering the rise of chinese test and are made available via the never been before, and i knew that i enjoyed scores in international rankings, and it was teaching, but i was not sure what china or eye-opening to be able to see the strengths and College Trust Funds. Some grants tsinghua university would actually be like. weaknesses of the chinese system. go towards enabling students to it turned out to be an incredible but it was interesting to get to know people my attend conferences relevant to challenging experience. i was paired with own age who had never left china and to learn their studies, while others help another volunteer from the uK, and we were about what they thought about western culture them get involved in interesting together put under the supervision of a teacher and global politics. it was particularly interesting from the us. the students were in class from to learn how much they knew about western and inspirational projects around 9.00am to 4.00pm, with a lunch break in the music and television, in contrast to how little i the world. Here, two students middle, and my co-volunteer and i taught half know about chinese music and television. report on what they were able to the students for an hour in the morning and i was also able to do some sightseeing do with their grants. then switched with the teacher to take the other during the trip, and i really enjoyed that. i saw half for the rest of the morning. after lunch, we a lot of beijing, including tiananmen square, brought together the whole class, totalling 63 the forbidden city, the summer Palace, and students, to work on group projects. the silk market. i loved seeing the beautiful i was struck by both the similarities in and and historically significant sights. one of the the differences between student life in china highlights of the trip was seeing a chinese and that in the uK. though some of student life acrobatics performance that the university seems to be universal, particularly studying and had arranged for us; another was going to the procrastinating, there were also big differences great wall of china. i enjoyed being able to see in the way that the chinese students related to evidence of the history of china in person and to their teachers and classmates and in the way experience chinese culture first hand. they learned. the chinese system generally altogether the internship at tsinghua university provided a great way for me to understand more about china, its people, and its history. i enjoyed meeting university students my age and learning about how their experience differed from mine, and i felt i learned a lot from being immersed in chinese culture and the university life. iStockphoto/itsskin

28 floreat domus balliol college news Washington think tank

By marVin GourauD (2011) from the end of June and through august assistant, liz white, he made sure we were of young graduates, and offer space for the 2013, i interned with the woodrow wilson exposed to american culture and history, sharing of ideas without commitment. i center’s Program on america and the global so that i learned about the importance of learned most through the exchange with economy (Page) in washington, dc. after ‘the godfather’ as well as about the most fellow interns and other members of staff at previous public sector internships within significant battles of the american civil war. the wilson center, while freely floating ideas the wider european bureaucracy, i had been in a team with the other interns, i and discussing our work and current affairs. looking for a more dynamic environment was in charge of authoring blog posts sometimes, Kent and former us secretary of in which to learn about public policy. as a (americaandtheglobaleconomy.wordpress. commerce John bryson would overhear our committed PPe-ist, i had applied to think com), writing event summaries, conducting discussions and join in while on their way tanks working on matters ranging from us literature reviews and gathering data for to their offices across the hall – something foreign policy to possibilities for avoiding the Page publications on the transatlantic trade germans like me are definitely not used to. fiscal apocalypse, without much preference for and investment Partnership (t-tiP) and whenever we found an interesting issue we one over the other. luckily for me, i did not education reform in chile and Haiti, as well wanted to know more about, we turned it into have to choose. as researching the state of small business in a small research project and wrote a blog post a state-funded, non-partisan think the us. during my time at the wilson center, about it. the birth of the royal baby, together tank, the wilson center maintains several Page hosted a series of conferences, the most with my studying in the uK, was enough to permanent programs. each program regularly impressive of which was the presentation spark a debate about whether the windsors hosts conferences, publishes research and of the world bank’s report on the future cost the british tax payer money. another provides a platform for exchange between development of global savings and investment, time, a debate about the risks of quantitative decision-makers and academics. as its name as part of its ‘global development Horizons’ easing turned into a blog post about financial suggests, Page covers a rather broad range of series. another interesting event included a bubbles. bitcoin, global youth unemployment topics. the program director, Kent Hughes, a speech by carla Hills, oxford alumna and and the possible decline of the oil supermajors Harvard lawyer and economist, had worked in former us trade representative who – as Kent presented yet more opportunities to contribute senior positions on capitol Hill before coming pointed out – is still often referred to as the to the blog. to the wilson center, where his main areas of ‘velvet crowbar’, on the effects of the trans- i had a great time at the wilson center, research lie in international trade, education Pacific Partnership on the nafta partners. and i am very much looking forward to and the effects of globalisation. overall, my expectations were exceeded going back to dc soon. unfortunately, work Kent took great care of me and the on several levels. the exchange between permits for recent foreign graduates are hard two other interns working with Page last politicians and the expert community, to come by these days and it seems that one summer, encouraging us to combine research especially, seems a lot more fluid and dynamic can greatly benefit from further education and with intellectual curiosity, while sharing his than in europe. think tanks employ a lot some private sector exposure before joining wisdom through a steady flow of insightful a think tank in a full-time position. for now, and humorous anecdotes. together with his i am grateful that i had the opportunity to experience the workings of the political washington, and recommend the experience to anyone who is reconsidering work in the public sector on the basis of thinking about the mysterious ways of the brussels apparatus. Orhan Cam/Shutterstock

issue no.20 June 2014 29 features Oxford at war By aoiFe o’Gorman (2012)

As this year’s Balliol-Bodley Scholar, I was this was a wonderful opportunity number of lectures (including a series lucky enough to be sent off to the Bodleian for a historian of the first world at rugby school) on the causes of the Library Special Manuscripts Room, where war, both in terms of my thesis and war, the duties of the citizen, and the in the general giddy (nerdy) joy of dangers of german militarism. I was instructed to make myself useful by getting to work on something which equally fascinating are the helping to curate the library’s exhibition wouldn’t necessarily come up in balliol scrapbooks, compiled by commemorating the centenary of the First the course of my research. though Hilda Pickard-cambridge, the wife World War: The Great War: Personal Stories a historian is used to working with of a balliol fellow. Here we find From Downing Street to the Trenches (12 June old documents, i for one still find christmas cards from the trenches, the mere fact of holding a christmas pamphlets from the front and, to 2 November 2014). card from the trenches terribly equally interesting, newspaper exciting and cannot help feeling awe cuttings, photos and letters which Ian Taylor Ian at the thought that a scrap of paper – describe an oxford that had given a relic of one of the most devastating itself over to the war effort. all the conflicts of the last century – has colleges remained open (even those not only survived but is sitting in my with fewer than six undergraduates), hands (or rather on a special stand, some gave buildings to refugees, having been placed there some converted space for incredibly gingerly). Heartbreaking hospital use, and a number a paper detailing of departments devoted my findings will be a in their too-brief their efforts to furthering component of the website descriptions the british war machine. accompanying the air raid warnings appear exhibition. as ever with of the careers alongside reports on the research, the end result of those who visit of italian professors deviated a good deal died, the letters to the university, ration from the original plan, books with concerns and so the paper will unfailingly that the opening of the focus not on oxonians in mention the university golf club to the war but on oxford’s officers on sundays will set war. i began with the Balliol spirit. a dangerous precedent for papers of lord bryce, peace-time play. Head of the committee investigating balliol housed ‘a’ company of reports of german atrocities during the 6th officer cadet battalion, and the invasion of belgium, and their troop magazine conjures up a subsequently examined records college still echoing to the laughter from the oxford belgian refugee of young men stealing mulberries committee. both sets of documents from the garden Quad and teasing highlight just how involved oxford their tutors, although now they are was in the war effort, be it in the clad in khaki instead of gowns, and prominent positions of her graduates, the tutors are teaching the correct or in the efforts of the town to take way to dig a trench, not how to in those directly affected by the decipher the intricacies of Homeric devastations of the war. greek. sports results show that the of greater interest for those with cadets enthusiastically embraced the a balliol connection, however, are collegiate lifestyle, fielding teams for the records of balliol’s master from rowing, cricket and tennis; and photos 1916 to 1924, a l smith, who was an of and articles about them with the historian with a strong connection undergraduates and academics of to the workers’ educational balliol highlight the degree to which association. His notes reveal his they succeeded in integrating. initial concern that the general public on a more sombre note, the should be roused to support the war scrapbooks also contain letters from effort. in the early days of the war, the relatives of balliol men who he saw the conflict as ‘a magnificent died – who were to be included in educational opportunity’, shocking the war memorial now on balliol’s even the most uninterested observer chapel door (left: first panel). of political life into contemplation Heartbreaking in their too-brief of the issues involved. as the descriptions of the careers of those war continued, he monitored the who died, the letters unfailingly changing sentiments of the working mention the balliol spirit and the classes, and of the groups which had balliol tradition to which their previously been outspoken in their sons were proud to belong. on the opposition to the war. He himself was centenary of the war, we can say that determined to ‘do his bit’, and gave a balliol is proud to call them her own.

30 floreat domus balliol college news Balliol Boys’ Club

By anna sanDer (Archivist And cUrAtor of MAnUscriPts) Anna Sander Anna

During the 2014–2018 commemorations of the First World War, a number of WWI-related exhibitions will be held at Balliol’s Historic Collections Centre at St Cross. The first of these will be based on the Balliol Boys’ Club collection held in the College archives. the balliol boys’ club was formed in early the exhibition is to be mounted 1907 as a result of changing attitudes in the physically in st cross for only a few college – driven especially by a l smith, soon weeks, but it will have a virtual ‘afterlife’ to become master – towards social responsibility online. indeed, the online exhibition and widening access to education. the aim will be bigger than the ‘real’ one, was to provide healthy, vigorous activity for as it will not be subject to the same boys from underprivileged areas of oxford; restrictions of display space. balliol’s full balliol’s club was based in st ebbe’s and offered set of The Club at War has already been boxing, football and summer camps. such boys’ digitised and can be viewed at www. clubs – a number of colleges and public schools flickr.com/photos/balliolarchivist/ ran similar enterprises – fitted with emerging sets/72157637160461386/. these and ideas about social action and youth activities, other images will form the backbone of exemplified most famously by robert baden- the online exhibition. because they will Powell’s scouting movement. as it was run present whole series of items rather than by college undergraduates for local boys, the extracts, they will also greatly increase club brought town and gown together, and its access to the information in the collection, strong and lasting esprit de corps was to play providing new, or at least newly accessible, an important role in the wartime experience of source material for future research. many of its old members. the club flourished a preview of the exhibition will be in place again after the war, and its future was assured by in time for the oxford open doors weekend, the gift of a new clubhouse and funds in memory 13–14 september; opening hours for the full of one of its leading lights from the college, t e exhibition later in september will be announced K rae (1907), who was killed in 1915. later in the year. a complete list of balliol boys’ the club was wound up when the st ebbe’s club holdings in the college archives can be area was redeveloped c.1970, but there is still viewed at http://balliolarchivist. an active old members’ association and we wordpress.com/2012/05/21/ hope friends and former members of the club faq-balliol-boys-club/. more and their families will be interested in visiting information about the history the exhibition. i hope it will be an opportunity of the club is available in John for further mutual sharing of information, Jones’s history of the college and bring more club memorabilia and (see page 13) and in A History of reminiscences to augment balliol’s collection. the Balliol Boys’ Club 1907–1971 the club’s own records survive fairly well by cyril bailey, updated by John right from the early days, and the exhibition will roughley (ouP, 1995). include: minutes of meetings, which are usually future subjects for wwi- in junior members’ handwriting; log books related talks and displays from recording attendance and activities, featuring balliol’s archival collections daily notes from summer camps; newspaper include: balliol war poets cuttings; photographs; accounts; and numbers and poetry; featured of the club magazine, among them The Club at individuals; unlocking War; its own trench magazine, which circulated research potential in from 1916 to 1919. balliol also has a good personal letters, diaries selection of interesting ephemera from the and photographs; club, including award certificates, trophies, and the story – or cricket caps, badges and more photographs. stories – of who was central to the exhibition will be the boys’ club here and what was war memorial board, listing the club members going on in balliol who fell, oxford boys and balliol men together. during the war. Visitors will be able to browse contextual material such as the college’s war memorial For information about volumes, contemporary numbers of Punch, the exhibition dates and College Record and a selection of enlargements of links to other WW1- photographs from francis fortescue urquhart’s related exhibitions and photo albums of the period. events in Oxford, please for the exhibition, the physical condition follow Balliol Archives of the whole boys’ club collection will be & Manuscripts on improved by conservation repair and new Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, packaging where necessary, and the collection’s blog and the website: see catalogue will also be revised. archives.balliol.ox.ac.uk.

issue no.20 June 2014 31 features 50 years of University Challenge

Fifty years (and more) since University Challenge was first aired on ITV, we look back at Balliol’s participation in the programme. from edward mortimer’s recollections (right) – he and simon wood (right) were members of two of the college’s more successful teams – it seems that in the early days selecting a team was a somewhat arbitrary process. in 1970, Jonathan moynihan says, the Jcr ‘passed a binding motion (proposed, very self-servingly, by me) that the team be chosen on the basis of the four with the longest hair. the motion was hard fought and had to go to several votes to make it more binding . . . and then those with the power didn’t implement it anyway: the team that year had the very short-haired John Palmer (1966).’ in chris dunabin’s time, 1971, it was ‘some self-appointed person who had been in the team the previous year who took Floreat Domus 2005) a session in make-up in the first series the prize was a first the lead in selecting each year’s team’. in 1975 as ‘very traumatic for the boys’. and that edition of dr Johnson’s dictionary (as david the team was chosen by a proper mock heat, was even before the questions and all the wickham recalls in Floreat Domus 2005). compèred by John o’reilly (1974). tension they entailed – as when the 1975/1976 things were different by simon walker’s day, of course many a balliol team entered and team lost to King’s college, london. ross 1974: ‘we were allowed to determine our own didn’t make it to the actual programme. but macdonald wrote in his diary: ‘though we prize up to a certain value and i remember Jamie lee, who did, recalls: ‘the rigours of beat them in the dress rehearsal they beat trying unsuccessfully to persuade my team the selection process were nothing compared us in the actual television game by 285 to mates that we should commission a painting to the assessment of our clothing for the 230 – nevertheless, a close game with the lead of roy Jenkins if we won: they decided it programme: we each had to bring three constantly changing hands, and with the result would be a huge aquarium for the Jcr.’ but, outfits, with various prohibitions on logos, only finally decided when King’s pulled away alas, there has been no winners’ prize for stripes and checks’; he also describes (in in the last two minutes.’ balliol yet: the challenge remains exactly that.

Balliol’s University Challenge teams 1962/1963 1971 1973/1974 Edward Mortimer (1962), Nigel Thomas (1968), Simon Walker (1971), University Challenge was aired on ITV from 1962 to 1987, presented David Wickham (1961), Chris Dunabin (1968), Jonathan Kay (1970), by quiz master Bamber Gascoigne, and then, after the BBC revived the Timothy Ades (1960) and Ken Grimshaw (1969), [?] Williamson and Ralph [?]; programme, from 1994 with Jeremy Paxman as quiz master. With the Oliver James (1961) (captain); Richard Jenkyns (1967); reserve Simon Jones (1971) help of those who kindly sent in their recollections and photographs, we reserve Guy Brown (1962) reserve Roger Harrison (1968) Lost to Trinity College, Cambridge, have compiled as best we can this list of Balliol teams which appeared Lost to Leicester in the final Beaten in the third round in the final round on the programme and how they fared, where known. Information is round by Sidney Sussex, Cambridge 1975/1976 scarce for the 1962–1987 years and some of the details are drawn Oliver Weindling (1974), David from memory. The Editor would be delighted to hear from anyone with Gunner (1974), Ross Macdonald more information or who can set the record straight. (1974) (captain), Philip Brace (1974) Runners-up 32 floreat domus balliol college news me not to keep slurping from the University Challenge 1962/1963 glass of water granada provided, which i guess i must have been By eDwarD mortimer (1962) doing out of nervousness. we got to the final, but were defeated by leicester. one of the the President of the Jcr, Hans hotel, which at our age was quite i remember pressing my buzzer leicester team was so quick on sluga (1960), put up a notice exciting. one evening we visited a for the ‘starter for ten’ were for the starters for ten that we almost saying that balliol had been asked nightclub in salford, the whisky-a- the question ‘in which academic thought he must be psychic. bamber to enter a team for a new tV quiz go-go. it was rather disappointing. discipline is Paul tillich famous?’ would say, ‘is edinburgh east . . .’, contest. i was in my first year as an the only thing i remember is (answer: theology – my dad was a and without waiting for the rest of undergraduate, and must have been the embarrassment of having to bishop), and when i recognised the the question he would come back a good deal more self-confident change my trousers in the back of theme music from The Big Country, with ‘it’s west of bristol.’ or again then than i am now, because i oliver’s mini outside the club – i one of my favourite films (but not, ‘which phrase, which originated approached him and expressed can’t remember why. Probably they as oliver claimed later, ‘the only as a typing exercise . . .’, and he interest. as i remember it, only didn’t admit people wearing jeans. film edward had ever seen’). answered, ‘now is the time for all one other person did so – david the question master, bamber on one occasion, when good men to come to the aid of the wickham. the other two members gascoigne, was very suave and we’d been recording during the party.’ (bamber told us afterwards, of the team were friends of Hans’s friendly, and told quite good jokes. vacation, i hitchhiked home from ‘i thought i’d got him that time, whom he recruited: our captain, we were surprised by our success. manchester to exeter and was because the question went on oliver James, and tim ades. later i think david was the one who picked up by frank Kermode, “would make a good slogan for any we found out that other teams answered most questions, but the famous english scholar from political party”, and, not having had been selected by elaborate tim also did well: as a classicist cambridge. it’s hard to imagine heard that, he was bound to say competitive processes; but we he knew most of the classical and such a thing happening now; in “the quick brown fox jumps over were balliol after all, and ‘effortless literary ones, but his knowledge of fact i don’t know when i last saw the lazy dog.” but no: he got it right.’) superiority’ was our watchword. greek also enabled him to answer a hitchhiker on an english main still, even as runners-up we the programmes were many of the maths and science road, let alone picked one up. each got a copy of the largest one- recorded at granada tV’s studios ones, such as ‘How many faces we got some fan mail – i even volume Oxford English Dictionary, in manchester. so as not to keep has an eikosihedron?’ (easy when had a drink in london with one signed by the legendary founder bringing us back there, they you know that in greek eikosi promising-sounding young lady, and ceo of granada, sidney recorded three programmes at means 20 and hedron means a but it went no further. i also got a bernstein. mine is still a prized a time, and we were put up in a face or surface.) the only times stern letter from one viewer telling and much used possession.

remember that after we lost the match University Challenge 2011/2012 that knocked us out, Jeremy Paxman, the quiz master, came into the green By simon wooD (2008) room to have a beer with us, but there was no bottle opener, so andrew whitby used another bottle to do it it’s hard to remember anything match, when Jeremy Kyle pushed weight slipping from my shoulders: and for once Paxman wasn’t scathing. from the actual matches we played. in front of me in the lunch queue i had made some contribution, but although i can’t otherwise Perhaps that’s because we were so (although it’s shown on the bbc, some attempt to justify my place remember much, whenever i hear focused on tapping into whatever University Challenge is filmed by on the team. i can remember when the theme music it sends a shiver combination of memory and itV). and i remember when the the gong went after that first match: up my spine, a Pavlovian reaction to intuition it takes to find the right cast of Coronation Street came in: it i had been so intent that i hadn’t cameras rolling, to the knowledge that answers that there was no time to was odd to see those familiar faces glanced at the scores for five or ten everything you say and do is being take in what was going on around as real people. minutes, and when i looked again recorded, and that anything you say, us. but i can very clearly remember i also remember getting my first they were very close, but we had right or wrong, inspired or idiotic, will being in the canteen before the first question right and feeling a great clinched it by five points. and i be seen in homes across the country.

1978/1979 (main photo) 2000/2001 2010/2011 2011/2012 2013/2014 Graham Fife (1978), Christopher Saul Lipetz (1998), Helena Oliver Murphy (2008), Liam Shaw (2009), Andrew Whitby George Corfield (2011), Taylor (1977), Robert Reed (1978, Bayley (1998, now Hawthorn), Kieran Hodgson (2006), (2007), Simon Wood (2008), Michael Bennett (2012), Visitor), Jim Hankinson (1976) Mark Strathdene (1994), Michael Slater (2007) (captain), James Kirby (2007); reserve Amy Vickers (2010), Lost to University of Wales Institute [?] Clark Marine Debray (2008); Tom Arnold (2007) Robin Edds (2012) of Science and Technology in the Reached the quarter-finals reserve James Kirby (2007) In the quarter-finals lost to Lost to Peterhouse, quarter-finals Lost to Queens’ College, Pembroke, Cambridge, beat Cambridge, in the 2004/2005 (opposite above) Cambridge, in the first round Homerton, Cambridge, and made first round 1998/1999 Marshall Steinbaum (2002), it to the top six before being Nicholas Hutchings (1995), Jen O’Donnell (2003), beaten by UCL Athar Yawar (1994), Jamie Lee (2002), [?] Hughes, one other. Peter Baker (2000) Defeated in the first round Reached the semi-finals issue no.20 June 2014 33 features Rare breeds By anne asKwith

Of all the careers and interests Balliol Old Members have pursued Middle White x over the years, one suspects there are not many who have gone into Berkshire piglets animal breeding. But Floreat Domus has found two who have: Aidan Boran cattle grazing at Hartley (1984), who, when he is not working as a journalist, ‘often in Aiden Hartley’s farm at Laikipia, Kenya challenging places’, rears pedigree Boran cattle in Kenya; and Andrew Lavender (1987), who, alongside his day job, rears rare breed pigs in the Mâconnais hills in southern Burgundy.

Beautiful pork from that could live outdoors and look after beautiful pigs themselves as much as possible, and we ‘The meat wanted breeds that were not the product escaping to rural france to run a tastes out of this of intensive farming practices’. they went farm sounds like a pipe dream. but on a family weekend course – ‘one day world compared for andrew – who used to live in pig keeping, one day butchering, and worcestershire – ‘all the planets seemed to factory-farmed homeward bound with three piglets in to align for once: we needed to find a pork.’ the boot of the car’ – and now have four new home with outbuildings so that english breeds: berkshire, gloucester sarita [his wife] could stop paying rent old spot, middle white and tamworth. for her glass art studio; we were moving ‘the meat tastes out of this world our younger daughter’s school and compared to factory-farmed pork,’ both the older ones were boarding; i andrew says; and as they had ‘way was negotiating a change in job. all the more’ pork, ham, bacon and sausages Andrew Lavender things that normally stop a family of than they could eat, they now sell it and Suzie, a five making a big move were open to Gloucester Old Spot under their brand name liberty Pig. change at the same time, so we took the using traditional, humane farming plunge.’ less than two months after they Boran bull methods is the primary driver for them, had dreamt up the plan, they had signed but the quality of the pork ‘sure does up to a house and to a job change that help the economics’: people buy the allowed andrew to work in france. meat ‘because they know it is reared the house came with ‘the best part ethically and tastes amazing’. of 3 hectares of land’ and, needing to Keeping pigs is hard work. something do something with it, they decided to always needs doing, from topping up breed pigs. they had stopped eating straw for new-born piglets to ‘having a factory-farmed meat and were finding good old study of a sow’s vulva to work it expensive to feed a family of five at out what stage of her three-weekly heat the local organic butcher’s, as well as cycle she’s at’. there are the 4.00am trips impossible to find decent english-style to the abattoir, afternoons in an eight- bacon; so, ‘out of desperation for a good degree cold room making sausages, bacon roll of a morning’, they opted to having to take water to the site. ‘anyone make bacon themselves. they chose rare who has seen the film Jean de Florette breeds ‘because we needed rustic pigs will know what that does to a city boy

Sarita Lavender Sarita deciding to rear animals on a hillside with no water!’ and then there’s the fencing. the farm is in mâcon cruzille wine- growing country, so andrew mustn’t let the pigs get out into neighbouring vineyards; and with wild boar hunting ‘as popular locally as it is in the asterix and obelix books’ he needs fences to keep wild boars away from his sows. but the land is so rocky ‘that a normal posthole borer won’t cut the mustard at all. all the fence posts are put in by hand with a drill, iron bar and a selection of sledge hammers.’

34 floreat domus balliol college news Sarita Lavender Sarita The best beef breed in Africa in contrast, aidan Hartley’s cattle graze freely on the open range: ‘get on a horse at our house and you could ride to ethiopia and never meet a fence.’ aidan lives on 2,500-acre farm in laikipia, the plateau north of mount Kenya that falls away into the rift Valley, which he first saw as a boy while travelling with his father. ‘i remember a red dirt track cut through wilderness and in front of us a bull giraffe, all horns and dappled flanks, galloping away into the wait- a-bit thorn groves white with scented blossom. i fell head over heels in love with the place. the road to home rises up on to high plains that look out over the land towards mount Kenya and when i see that my heart sings.’ Our ultimate aim is to rear A great feeling aidan worked on a laikipia farm pedigree Boran cattle of but if breeding animals is challenging, during his gap year before going up superior genetics to improve the in Kenya or in burgundy, both men to balliol ‘and already my compass national herd in Kenya and for speak of the rewards. andrew’s are had found true north’. after oxford export to countries around Africa, ‘the taste of a plate of home-reared, (and then the school of oriental and particularly post-conflict economies home-cured bacon or roast pork and african studies) he returned to the that aim to up their ranching with the great feeling of being outside, continent, but while working as a the special qualities of the Boran. connected to the animals and rearing foreign correspondent for reuters I see our mission as one of providing them well.’ aidan appreciates the and newspapers he only ever saw the food for the growing African outdoors and the company of animals plateau from aircraft. then in 2004 he market which, as the middle too: together with the hard labour and his wife, claire, had the chance to classes grow, wants to buy more that life on a ranch involves, they buy some virgin bush. they lived in beef. This is all part of the miracle are a solace to him. He has paid for a tent for two years and built a house sweeping our continent, in the farm by continuing to work as a from mud, local stone and thatch. which Africa’s economic journalist and making documentaries ‘our aim has always been to conserve growth is the Next Big Thing. the wildlife, the grasslands and forest, for channel 4 television in mongolia, but Kenya is a poor country where but, aidan says, ‘You don’t ranch Yemen, the nuba mountains, somalia, the land must produce food, so we cattle for an easy life or that absurd colombia and other places. it has bought in livestock. that’s how our notion of “profit”. every day is a been ‘wonderfully interesting’, but boran stud began.’ drama.’ laikipia has a there have been times healthy population of when he has been ‘a bit boran cattle, aidan explains, are ‘You don’t ranch probably the best indigenous beef and predators – lion, hyena, worn out by conflict dual-purpose breed in africa: wild hunting dog, cheetah, cattle for an easy and crisis’. at such times leopard – so all livestock going back to the farm – The Boran is a Zebu breed life or that absurd are brought into a night ‘switch off the phone, dip (Bos indicus) that originated enclosure of thorn or dry notion of “profit”. cattle, dose sheep, weed from the Somalis, Oromo and stone walls, called a boma. vegetables, chew fat with Boran people of the Liban plateau Every day is a ‘i’ve had a cow devoured by shepherds, walk in the heat’ in southern Ethiopia. For 1,000 lion on the croquet lawn in drama.’ – is an important part of years they honed the genetics front of the house, where his cure. of Boran-type cattle, which i had put her to convalesce, and do their lives now have anything commercial ranchers adapted recently a leopard leapt into the boma to do with having been at balliol? to modern requirements. Early at midnight and consumed a calf ‘intellectually balliol prepared me for European ranchers bought them minutes after it was born, attracted the road in africa as a correspondent, from Somali traders and bred i suppose by the scent of blood.’ where i had to tackle big questions out weaknesses, and before the the biggest problem is cattle in life,’ says aidan, and he thinks the Great War Shorthorn bulls from rustling. ‘samburu youths come intellectual journey he and claire England were imported at us like border reivers and it’s a made at oxford as english students to improve the Boran Zebu type cultural practice that has gone toxic helps sustain them in their life in a for dairy. For beef, the ranchers with the appearance of the aK-47 quiet place that is far away from many left them mainly as pure Borans, semi-automatic rifle.’ once a rustler of their friends. andrew: ‘er, not at all working to better their natural ambushed aidan’s vehicle, putting – that i can think of, at least!’ qualities: hardiness, heavy several bullets into the metal a few weight gain, docility, fertility. feet in front of him. with lack of for aidan and claire, the education being a big problem, aidan Aidan Hartley writes about his objective is beef. after a decade aims to build a primary school for farm in his ‘Wild Life’ column of investing in top-quality local children near the farm. ‘i am no for The Spectator: see www. genetics, they have a breeding starry-eyed philanthropist: i’m hoping spectator.co.uk/life/wild- herd of around 80 cows, and aidan that these kids will opt to become life. You can read more about hopes to show their first cattle at the brain surgeons and rocket scientists Andrew and Sarita Lavender’s livestock breeders show in nairobi when they grow up instead of raiding pigs at www.libertypig.com. in 2015. my cattle!’

issue no.20 June 2014 35 features A life in the law By Tom Lowenthal (2010)

Sir Michael Burton (1965) is a High Court judge, and has recently been appointed TL: The Tribunal is awash with vexatious to the presidency of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT). Floreat Domus caught claims. Does this impact on the Tribunal’s up with him, to ask about his role, his career in the law, and the Tribunal generally. legitimate work at all? MB: I do not find that the substantial number of hopeless cases is a problem. Each of them is read TL: Do you find the work on the Tribunal by two members, and sometimes what appears interesting? Is there anything you find to be without foundation might just suggest a especially challenging about it? glimmer of something worth investigating. The MB: Much of the work on the IPT is on paper, IPT is under a duty to investigate all claims, dealing with and sifting out the large number except those that it is satisfied are frivolous and of applications which can be categorised vexatious, but it is not overly a burden on the as ‘frivolous and vexatious’, i.e. without Tribunal, and the burden is a price worth paying any arguable foundation, and then making for leaving access to the Tribunal fully available. enquiries and resolving issues. The hearings There may be disadvantages about the Tribunal’s themselves, of which there have only been an degree of secrecy, but there are great advantages average of about two per year, most of which to those who wish to complain to it that, unlike are published on our website, are fascinating, in respect of High Court claims where an involving the complex interplay between the arguable case is required before a claimant can requirements of confidentiality and secrecy issue a claim form, the IPT will act on the basis – i.e. in matters relating to national security simply of reasonable suspicion. and the prevention of crime – and of natural TL: The Tribunal is exceptionally secretive justice. The normal need for both sides to have in its rulings, with most cases receiving ‘no full opportunity to understand each other’s determination’. Do you think the present cases and see each other’s documents, such arrangements strike the right balance between as is intrinsic to ordinary litigation, has to be openness and security? T he Tribunal is responsible for hearing balanced and compromised. The Act itself (the complaints, made by ordinary citizens, about Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 or MB: Apart from those claims which are rejected because they are without foundation, or out of allegedly unlawful state surveillance. With ‘RIPA’) is complex, and always throws up knotty time (there is a prima facie time limit of one revelations about the nature and extent of questions of law. year, which can be extended for good reason) or government ‘snooping’ garnering significant TL: Could you explain the nature of your role outside the Tribunal’s jurisdiction, all cases which controversy recently, this has become a when hearing complaints? Is it more judicial, are investigated and rejected must by statute be politically very contentious area, and Sir or investigative? given the same response: ‘no determination’. This Michael presides over a judicial tribunal MB: All decisions on paper are made by is because of the well-known concept of NCND which is charged to ensure the lawfulness two members, and I am only one of nine, (neither confirm nor deny). If the Tribunal said of this surveillance. the President and Vice-President being full- to one applicant that he or she has nothing to TL: What motivated you to choose a career time senior judges and the other seven being worry about because the Tribunal is satisfied in law? senior or retired lawyers, all qualifying for the there has been no surveillance, while to another MB: I won a scholarship to Balliol to read description ‘great and good’, including, until his applicant the Tribunal gave a different answer, Classics, which enabled me to have four recent retirement, another Balliol man, Peter then it would be obvious in the latter case that years at Balliol, and, since Classics Mods Scott QC [1956]. Most complaints there had been surveillance but that then consisted entirely of Latin and Greek or claims to the IPT which fall to The normal need it was justified. It is important that language and literature and really felt like the be investigated are resolved on no inferences can be drawn from the culmination of the study of Classics, to paper without a hearing, and all for both sides manner of the answer. If of course read Law after Mods instead of continuing with respondents are under a statutory to have full the complaint is upheld, then full duty to supply any information the reasons (subject to the requirements Greats. My father, a barrister in Manchester, opportunity to was a QC for a year before being killed in the IPT requires, and indeed to permit of national security) can be given. Harrow train crash in 1952, and so my mother members of the IPT to inspect all understand each The Tribunal has very much their files, including the most secret. had always been keen that I should consider other’s cases and tempered the effect of the ‘no a career in law; but I would not have been When there is a hearing, our role is determination’ principle by holding incentivised to do so without the inspirational entirely judicial, and we are required see each other’s hearings on assumed facts so as teaching of the Balliol law tutors, Don Harris to resolve matters as if we were a documents to resolve questions of law. In that court of judicial review, i.e. similarly case the IPT has ruled that it can, and Neil McCormick. While a young barrister . . . has to be I also had the privilege of being a lecturer in to the Administrative Court. and should, give detailed reasons, law at Balliol for some three years, teaching on At present there are claims lodged balanced and which are published, sometimes Friday nights and Saturday mornings. with the IPT by organisations which anonymising the parties, on its allege, relying on the publications compromised. website, and in open judgements TL: Do you look back on your time at of the alleged disclosures by Mr delivered to the parties and capable of Balliol fondly? Snowden, that the Security Services have acted being reported. There was a rule which required MB: I look back to my time at Balliol with unlawfully, supported by pleadings which all hearings to be in private, but the IPT in 2003 enormous pleasure. It was and is the most run to many pages, and these will need to be declared that this rule was unlawful, and that we stimulating of educational establishments, laced resolved carefully after exhaustive investigation ought to hold hearings in public so far as we can. with the additional and enticing opportunities of, and disclosure by, the Security Services, by Our determination to do as much as possible in of politics, student administration, drama, hearings, no doubt partly in private but so far as public hopefully attempts to strike the balance debating and socialising. possible in public. between openness and security.

36 floreat domus balliol college news iStockphoto/woraput

TL: Do you feel that the Security Services, the police, and the other subjects of your investigations cooperate willingly, or at all? MB: i have no doubt that the introduction of riPa in 2000 was salutary, imposed a discipline upon the security services and, in so far as it requires warrants and authorities to be given prior to any intrusive conduct, is not regarded by them as unwelcome. all those who are the recipients for Parliament. of enquiries by the tribunal resulting from However, it seems to me that complaints to it are statutorily obliged to there are advantages in the iPt cooperate, to provide any documents requested for claimants: (i) they are able and to allow inspection of their files. the to issue proceedings on the tribunal has never been denied any such access. basis of reasonable suspicion TL: What are the advantages of review of state rather than provable claim, surveillance in the IPT, as opposed to judicial leaving it to the tribunal to review in the High Court? carry out further investigations; (ii) they themselves can retain MB: any Human rights claim against the confidentiality and anonymity; (iii) there security services, and any claims alleging is no risk of a costs order. the real difference he or she is being covert surveillance or interception against the is that litigants have to put a degree of trust the subject of police and other similar authorities in the tribunal’s independence covert surveillance or must be brought to the tribunal, and perspicacity. interception can easily which has exclusive jurisdiction. Litigants have discover our existence. claims against the security services to put a degree TL: The Tribunal’s members rarely give interviews or publicise the TL: for damages for tortious acts can of trust in Have you any regrets, be and have been brought in the work they do. Is there a reason for looking back on your career? this? Do you feel that most people High court, but before the Justice the Tribunal’s MB: i do regret not being able to have and security act 2013, which are aware of the avenue of redress independence offered by the IPT? enough time with my wife and family when allows ‘closed material Procedures’ i was a busy Qc. to be used in the High court in and perspicacity. MB: i am the first President to TL: appropriate circumstances, the have given an interview (radio 4’s Is there any message you would like to government found it difficult to defend Law in Action), but we do have a website and give aspiring lawyers at Balliol? claims where they were reluctant to disclose there is a published report freely available. i MB: work hard, take up every single documents in open court. the balance at the do not think it is for us to go out and drum up opportunity you are given and keep a life end of the day is not for me to question but business, but i believe that anyone who thinks outside the law!

issue no.20 June 2014 37 features Global Balliol: North America In our series of articles about Balliol alumni working around the world, Oliver Franklin (1967) and Susanna Mierau (2000) talk to Floreat Domus about working and living in North America.

Oliver St Clair Franklin, OBE Vice Chairman of Electronic Ink, Philadelphia

Commissioner and Chief of Protocol. This was I talk to CEOs about a process that is not ideal, as it involved artists, cultural policy and in their budget and a product they’ve never a good deal of international diplomacy; most bought before. But once we start working you of all, it was about ideas. I enjoyed the intensity can see the light bulbs going on above their and the politics. heads as they discover another way of looking After five years, I entered the investment at their business. business, starting as a lowly analyst with a local How have you come to be based firm and working my way to a Senior Vice Presidency at Dreyfus Corporation and finally in North America? at Fidelity Investments. When Mandela was M y family has been in North America about released from prison, Fidelity asked me out to 320 years, but half of that time as enslaved South Africa for an investment assessment. I Africans in Virginia. thought besides selling Fidelity mutual funds, we should offer an African fund and when that What do you love about where proposal was declined I, along with several you live? colleagues, founded the first US mutual fund Philadelphia is a very cosmopolitan, to invest in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange historically focused city with all the challenges Please describe your career since and several other African exchanges. I lived of a modern American city and, being situated you left Balliol two weeks in Cape Town and two weeks in between New York and Washington, DC, easily W hen I came down from Balliol the US was Philadelphia, as my girlfriend was now my accessible to the rest of the world. wife and we had a son. The firm did well and in flames. Martin Luther King had been Is there anything you miss about assassinated, the protest against US involvement again the Balliol network was very powerful in Vietnam was growing and every assumption in southern Africa. After we sold the firm the UK? the society had was being questioned. So I I became Chief Exec of the International I am very fortunate: besides being the did what anyone of my generation would House, a residential and cultural facility for Honorary British Consul, I manage our do: I threw myself into grass roots politics in international students studying in Philadelphia. firm’s London office and I’m in London quite Baltimore, my home town. I worked for the This was a different experience, a charity with frequently. I attended the 750th gala, which Governor of Maryland, wrote for the local all the various aspects of fundraising, but I was a peak experience, and I continue to watch newspaper and made a nuisance of myself to enjoyed it so much that I stayed for five years. with fascination the Oxbridge front benches move the ‘process forward’. My girlfriend was What does your current position in Parliament. in Philadelphia and as my phone bill was larger involve and what do you enjoy Would you recommend life in than my rent, I eventually moved there. After a few weeks of seeking employment I leaned on about it? North America? the Balliol network. Thomas Hodgkin (Fellow I am now the Vice Chairman of Electronic I have a Nigerian friend who lives in China. His 1945–1952 and 1966), my major tutor, knew Ink ([email protected]), a business children were born there and speak Mandarin. the President of the University of Pennsylvania design firm. Companies spend millions on When his eldest daughter turned 18 and applied and put in a ‘quiet word’. I landed a position their technology hardware and applications for Chinese citizenship, it was refused on the as one of the President’s assistants to develop and rarely realise that the purpose of these grounds that she was not Chinese. In the US programmes to bring a more diversified tools is to change human behaviour to over half of all of the internet millionaires audience on to the campus. One of the projects meet business goals; business processes are foreign born. Even with our debates on we developed was a Black film festival, which are represented as boxes and arrows and immigration policy, we’re actually a welcoming eventually went national. Four years later I companies forget that there are human beings society. I am not saying that the US is the best left to produce films. Then on a whim I got in those boxes. We focus on the human aspect country in the world – Balliol’s JCR changed my involved in a mayoral campaign, and the of technology and discover whole ranges of thinking on that idea – but with a black family candidate won and appointed me the Cultural opportunities and risks that come forward. in the White House we are ever changing.

38 floreat domus balliol college news Susanna Mierau Postdoctoral researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts, and neurologist, MGH Lurie Center for Autism

alters the connections between neurons in There is a rich calendar of intellectual (and not the developing brain. Using techniques I so intellectual!) events in the JCR and SCR. learned as a DPhil student, I am able to Although it is only 10 minutes by subway from record electrical activity from living brain the hubbub of Boston’s city centre, Cambridge cells. I also teach neuroanatomy and a course (Massachusetts), around the Harvard campus, entitled the ‘Neurobiology of Disease’ at the offers a leafy green oasis with many cultural medical school. Two days per month, I see and culinary options. In summer, I enjoy children and adults with autism at the MGH sailing on the Charles River (above) from the specialty clinic. boathouse at MIT, my alma mater. In winter, I am fascinated by how we learn and I am particularly fond of the Museum of how this process occurs on the cellular Fine Arts, the Boston Ballet and the Boston level. My job allows me not only to explore Symphony Orchestra. fundamental scientific questions about brain Is there anything you miss about function but also to apply that knowledge to address neurological disorders. This is the UK? both enjoyable and challenging. Working T here is something so truly special about Please describe your career since directly with patients and families, I am able the intellectual community at Oxford. The to help them understand and cope with the friendships I formed at Balliol, and in the you left Balliol symptoms; however, we currently do not have wider University, continue to grow and enrich A fter finishing my DPhil in neuroscience any treatments that will ‘cure’ or reverse the my life. At Oxford, it always felt as if there were in the Physiology Department at Oxford, regression of social, language or cognitive skills more time for engaging with one another, and I began my medical studies at Harvard. I that occurs in some of these disorders. I am the college system structurally facilitated that completed my medical internship in Wichita, hopeful that the translational research we work by bringing people from many different fields Kansas, where I grew up, at the University on in the laboratory will eventually lead to new and backgrounds together for daily discussion of Kansas School of Medicine and my drug therapies. over dinner or other formal (or informal) neurology residency back in Boston at the events. I returned to the UK in my final year Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), What do you love about where of medical school to do a clinical rotation Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard you live? at the National Hospital for Neurology and Medical School. For the last two years, I have B oston is an incredibly exciting hub for Neurosurgery in Queen Square in London. I combined my neuroscience and neurology neuroscience research and neurological clinical was so impressed by the collegiality and high backgrounds, as a postdoctoral researcher care. I deeply appreciate the opportunities level of clinical specialty care that I could see at Boston Children’s Hospital investigating I have had to train here (I was at the an ideal career working (and living) in Oxford the neurobiological basis of autism, and as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology before as a researcher and serving as a neurology neurologist at the MGH speciality clinic for I went to Oxford) and to work with wonderful consultant at Queen Square. children and adults with autism. colleagues. I live on the Harvard undergraduate Would you recommend life in campus as an academic adviser at one of What does your current position North America? involve and what do you enjoy the 12 residential communities. The ‘house’ system at Harvard was modelled, in part, on Yes! There are so many opportunities in the about it? the Oxbridge colleges. Here 400 students live US and Canada. Here in Boston, there is a I spend most of my time in the laboratory together with 24 graduate students (or young vibrant intellectual and cultural scene and studying the neurobiology of autism professionals like me) and the Masters (two all that big city life has to offer. I am also and related disorders that affect brain faculty members). Eating together in the dining particularly fond of my home in Wichita, development. More specifically, I investigate hall with students and faculty members from where the pace of life is less pressured, how the mutation identified in Rett so many different academic fields reminds me leaving more time to enjoy activities with syndrome, a disorder with autistic features, fondly of times at Balliol and Holywell Manor. family and friends.

issue no.20 JUNE 2014 39 features D-Day landings: a testing experience By DaViD GiBLinG (1941)

In the 70th anniversary year of the eventually the chateau was taken and geddes (i discovered their names later) of D-Day landings, David Gibling, whose some time after that the long-awaited assault the canadian medical corps briefly examined studies at Balliol were interrupted on caen took place. the evening before, all the new arrivals. captain robertson we had witnessed the allied bombing of immediately saw that i was in need of urgent by the Second World War, recalls his the city, the only evidence of its devastating attention and arranged that i should receive experiences of the Allies’ invasion of effect at that moment being the dust cloud it first thing in the morning. they removed Normandy. After the war he returned that enveloped us. like the mortar officers over a litre of noxious fluid from my collapsed to Balliol to complete his degree. of battalions either side of us, i had already lung. a nurse later told me that she had been He then joined the OU Education selected an observation point from which to most surprised that i had survived that night. direct the mortar fire when the attack went in. i am in no doubt that captain robertson Department and later became a the fire-plan orders for the mortar platoon saved my life. grammar school teacher. involved laying a cable across the field to the d-day and the landings should be oP to back up the radio. in the end, neither remembered as a triumph of cooperation, i was with the reserves camped at aldershot worked! at 4.00am on 8 July, before the planning and courageous execution. they when the d-day landings took place. we infantry advance began, i positioned myself were the essential precursor to the restoration knew they were imminent when all leave in the oP. alas, the failure of the radio as well of liberty and welfare to nations where these was cancelled and when, the night before, as the cables made essential a dash on foot to had been in abeyance for so long. we witnessed the passing overhead of an the nearest oP to get assistance. it was at this armada of towing aircraft and gliders. we point that i was seriously injured by german knew then that we would shortly be facing mortars. i suffered a chest wound with a testing experience. lacerations to my liver, a collapsed by the time our turn came to lung and shrapnel wounds in my cross the channel on 10 June 1944, D-Day and the ankle. on that first day, 8 July, d+4, the beaches and a widening landings should my military service came to strip inland had been secured. we be remembered an end. left from newhaven, where the port the sergeant was officer who directed us on board as a triumph excellent, calm and efficient; was derek barrett (1941), a balliol of cooperation, he put on dressings, contemporary. we disembarked administered morphine and at sword beach and were trucked planning and called the stretcher bearers, and marched inland. i was attached courageous and i was off to the first aid to the south lancs regiment (1st execution. post and field hospital. the battalion) and assigned to the 3-inch staff there did all they could, mortar platoon. but they were not sufficiently resourced the battalion HQ was situated in an to deal with my wounds. after several enclosed property opposite château de la weeks i was transferred to the coast londe (le landel), a significant feature of by ambulance. the german frontline in that sector. for when i arrived in aldershot (by the next three weeks or so we awaited the landing ship, tank and train) i was breakthrough that would allow us to attack assigned to the canadian hospital. i caen. every night, our sleep was interrupted remember lying in a lower bunk quite by the sound of He (high explosive) and tracer unable to move or communicate for what bullets whipping through the trees above us seemed like some time. People were moving and creating a sense of alarm and insecurity. up and down the corridor but they did not during the day, units from the battalion notice me. captain robertson and major launched regular attacks on enemy positions, often calling in the support of 3-inch mortar fire. one witnessed troops advancing across the open land under enemy fire. the tension in the air was palpable – particularly on one occasion i remember, when troops from both sides were occupying the same wood at close quarters.

40 floreat domus balliol college news All downhill from Balliol By simon Lee (1976)

To those who enjoyed the first Winter Olympics in which Team GB won a medal on snow, it will come as no surprise that it was a Balliol man who was described in the Alpine Journal as the ‘Father of Downhill Skiing, Ambassador of the Mountains, Inventor of the Slalom’. Arnold Lunn (1907) took on the Nordic establishment, who 100 years ago thought skiing was about cross-country and ski-jumping. After decades of controversy, he succeeded in introducing downhill and slalom into the Winter Olympics in 1936, officiating himself at the first Olympic slalom. arnold lunn described his own lunn enjoyed his much more could be said about the balliol career as ‘inglorious’, As with so undergraduate years, lunn family and especially arnold, who explaining that he was sent down many Balliol notwithstanding his difficulties must be the only balliol man born in india in 1907 and only sat for a pass with exams and a serious to have been knighted for services to skiing degree in 1911 under pressure contributions to climbing accident which left him and to anglo-swiss relations. He was a from his father. He failed anyway life, Lunn saw with one leg a couple of inches prolific author. He told the story of his own and was asked by the master to a more elegant shorter than the other. He was conversion in a book entitled Now I See and apologise to an irate examiner for editor of the student magazine liked to claim that readers who knew of the impudence of his answer on solution which Isis, secretary of the oxford him as a skier had bought it in the mistaken James i. He enclosed a copy of his now seems union and a leader of the oxford belief that the memoir was called Now I Ski. book, published while he was a university mountaineering when he died, a prayer he had composed student by oxford university Press, obvious to club, which he started. He was was found among his papers. it concludes The Englishman in the Alps. the everybody. as an undergraduate a fiercely in thanks to god ‘for the moments of chairman of examiners responded committed atheist. He criticised revelation when the temporal beauty of the in kind. dr John Jones, from the balliol’s cardinal manning and mountains reinforces my faith in the eternal decanal wing of balliol college historians, other religious figures who had converted to beauty which is not subject to decay’. informs me that lunn made a mistake in rome, engaging later in a public controversy reporting that he was sent down: he was with another balliol convert, mgr ronald Professor lee’s book Vincent’s 1863–2013 only rusticated. Knox. He was later received into the has recently been published by third lunn had a similar disregard for the catholic church by Knox and started millennium, with a foreword by sir technicalities of skiing, such as the nordic arguing fiercely and publicly against atheists, roger bannister. preoccupation with using skis for going such as J b s Haldane. along or even up. as with so many balliol contributions to life, he saw a more elegant solution which now seems obvious to everybody. the norwegian skiing community objected to his efforts to encourage downhill skiing. after thousands of years of experience in skiing cross-country, they regarded themselves as the guardians of the sport and asked him how he would feel if an eskimo presumed to offer advice on changing the fundamental laws of cricket. arnold lunn thought it would be a jolly good idea because there were so many drawn games. elisabeth Hussey, who helped him in his role as editor of the British Ski Year Book, recalls that when the norwegians responded by saying ‘but our children were born on skis’, arnold lunn merely observed that that must make it very difficult for their midwives.

issue no.20 June 2014 41 An Appetite for Wonder: Bookshelf The Making of a Scientist: A Memoir Richard Dawkins (1959) Let It Go: Beggar thy Neighbor Bantam Press, 2013 The Story of the Charles R Geisst (1977) ‘And in so far as anything was the Entrepreneur Turned making of me, Oxford was,’ writes University of Pennsylvania Press, Richard Dawkins in this memoir of Ardent Philanthropist 2013 Dame Stephanie Shirley his early life, as he describes how (Foundation Fellow) Financial historian Charles R Geisst he followed his father, two uncles, a tracks the changing perceptions cousin and a grandfather (who was Andrews UK Limited, 2012 of usury and debt from the time of immortalised in the Balliol Rhymes) up to Balliol, in his case to read zoology. Balliol benefactor Dame Stephanie Cicero to the most recent financial Recalling his childhood in colonial Shirley arrived in England in crises, looking at humanity’s Africa, anecdotes about family and 1939 at the age of five as an attempts to curb the abuse of Our Hearts Hang from friends, literature, poetry and songs, unaccompanied Kindertransport debt while reaping the benefits the Lemon Trees and the inspirational mentors and refugee. In 1962, in the early of credit, and demonstrating that vigorous debate he enjoyed at Oxford days of computer programming, extensive leverage and debt were Laetitia Rutherford (1994) and which awakened his intellectual she set up a software company behind most financial market Short Books, 2013 curiosity and creative thinking, in the with £6 of capital, innovatively crashes from the Renaissance to book he reveals the influences that employing only women working the present day. Laetitia Rutherford’s relationship shaped him into the scientist who from home and using the name with her brilliant but troubled father, ‘a compelling book not only famously became the author of ‘Steve’ to overcome the prejudices Financial Times journalist Malcolm for history buffs but also for The Selfish Gene. of the male-dominated business Rutherford (1958), is at the heart financial market participants of this memoir. She grew up in a world. She had a son – her only ‘there is no score-settling, but who will find that events today crumbling house in Notting Hill child – who was severely autistic a generous appreciation and have a long history leading up and in the summers left her father and who died at the age of 35. admiration of the qualities of to our current travails.’ Henry behind to stay with her maternal After her company was floated others, as well as a transparent Kaufman, author of on money grandparents at a villa on the on the London Stock Exchange love of life, literature – and and markets: a wall street Riviera that was stuffed with books in 1996, she became one of the memoir science.’ Independent on Sunday richest women in England. Since and fragments of the past. As she then she has given all but a tenth evocatively recalls the places and of her wealth away, to autistic and people of her childhood, she explores other causes, discovering that ‘the the family’s problematic dynamics money I have let go has brought and gradually reveals its painful me infinitely more joy than the secrets: why the two sides of the money I have hung on to’. family never spoke to each other and why her father was absent. ‘this engrossing story of an extraordinary life is filled with ‘this beautifully sculpted lessons in what it means to be and tender memoir . . . is not human.’ Financial Times one of those scarily abusive dark holes in which so many misery confessionals flounder. rutherford has crafted a beautiful but thoughtful book . . . [and a] gem of a memoir.’ Sunday Times

In Search of Real Music: The Story of Classical Music from 1600 to 2000 Clive Bate (1955) FastPrint, 2013 Written for everyone who enjoys classical music, this book explores the crucial events, the traditions and the changes which shaped the course of classical music across the centuries. Profiles of the music produced in 50-year periods from 1600 to 2000 are complemented by sections on the development of musical instruments, on the evolution of the orchestra, on publishing and recording, and on the buildings designed for operas and concerts. In this way it allows readers to make connections between strands of history that are rarely brought together and so to enrich their understanding of music.

42 floreat domus balliol college news No Regrets Secrets and Leaks: The Dilemma of State Secrecy Bernard O’Keeffe (1977) Rahul Sagar (1997) Acorn Independent Press, 2013 Princeton University Press, 2013 What would happen if you accepted State secrecy is vital for national security, but it can also be used to conceal every invitation, appealing or appalling, wrongdoing. How, then, can we ensure that this power is used responsibly? that came your way? The hero of Rahul Sagar, Assistant Professor of Politics at Princeton University, examines Bernard O’Keeffe’s first novel finds the complex relationships involved in executive power, national security out when, after his wife leaves him, a and secrecy. In particular, drawing on several cases, he considers whether best friend dies and a friend suggests unauthorised disclosures, which violate the law, should be condoned. he has become boring in middle age, he resolves to take every opportunity, ‘were snowden’s leaks justified? rahul sagar’s Secrets and Leaks sheds good or bad – with no regrets. important light on the question . . . in carefully argued and lucid prose.’ New York Review of Books ‘gripping, heartening, a captivating read . . . tremendously good’ John Carey, Emeritus Zbigniew Pelczynski: Thomas Graham and Fellow of Merton A Life Remembered his Perthshire Estates David McAvoy Thomas Huxley (1949) Grosvenor House Publishing, 2012 Perth and Kinross Libraries, 2012 Zbigniew Pelczynski was a Politics Thomas Huxley has delved into Lecturer at Balliol from 1955 to the vast Lynedoch collection of 1957 before becoming a Fellow manuscripts in the National Library at Pembroke. Written by one of of Scotland to examine the role of his students, this book records his Thomas Graham – Peninsular War origins in Poland, where he fought soldier, politician and traveller – as in the Warsaw Uprising and was a Scottish landowner. Quoting captured by the Nazis, and his extensively from Graham’s letters to academic career, during which his agents, and other contemporary he revived interest in the political sources, and illustrating his text philosophy of G W F Hegel. He Microbes, Music and with estate maps, photographs and also initiated the Oxford Colleges Me: A Life in Science drawings, the author explains how Hospitality Scheme for Polish Graham developed his Lynedoch Black Chalk John Postgate (1941) Scholars and established a School estate in Perthshire and assesses Albert Alla (2006) for Young Social and Political Leaders Mereo, 2013 his contribution to the agrarian Garnet Publishing, 2013 in Warsaw. revolution and the designed ‘I arrived at Balliol with a trunk, a landscape in the late 18th and early In the Oxfordshire countryside, a student black Wedgwood teapot, a bottle 19th centuries. walks into a classroom and starts of crusted old port given to me by shooting. Nate Dillingham, a friend of my father, a new set of dissecting shooter and victims alike, is the sole instruments and some other survivor and witness. Unable to resume paraphernalia appropriate to a normal life after he leaves hospital, freshman embarking upon a science Nate decides to travel instead of going degree.’ John Postgate describes to university, in the hope of avoiding his Balliol in the Second World War as memories. But when, after eight evasive he looks back on his life, in which years, he meets Leona and plunges he rose to international prominence into a world of candour and desire, his in the field of microbiology. But the defences start deteriorating and he can book is more than ‘a book about longer evade the past. Black Chalk is doing science’; it is also about his Albert Alla’s debut novel. other great love, jazz – playing it, listening to it, and writing about it.

Friendly Steppes: A Silk Road Journey Nick Rowan (2001) Hertfordshire Press, 2012 In 2006 as an undergraduate, with significant funding from a Vaughan Memorial Travelling Scholarship, Nick Rowan undertook a journey along the Silk Road. What began as his report for the trustees turned into this book, the full story of his travels, which it took him six years to complete. In it he recounts his journey from Venice, through Eastern Europe, into Turkey, across Iran, through Azerbaijan and Central Asia and ending in China, describing his encounters with the wonderful people he met and assessing the impact that the 2,000-year-old Silk Road has had on modern culture.

issue no.20 June 2014 43 development news The Heart of the Matter Image courtesy of ‘Dacorum Heritage Trust Ltd’

Balliol has been offered the chance to obtain a collection Union in 1963. Many of the papers of personal material belonging to Graham Greene have never previously been seen. (1922), probably the most distinguished Balliol author Altogether this represents a unique and exciting opportunity for the of the last century. The collection includes transcripts College, as the archive is probably of around 100 dictated letters, hand-written postcards, the last of such calibre to remain in obituaries, programmes of Greene’s plays, posters and private hands, as well as one of the promotional material, an extensive selection of early very few significant collections of printings of Greene’s works, and numerous photographs. Greene material still in the UK. way to go, but we have made a great Balliol is seeking to raise £65,000 start on acquiring this extraordinary in order to secure it and, thanks collection of material relating to T he letters cover a wide range to the generosity of many Old Balliol’s greatest modern novelist.’ of topics, including Greene’s Members, we have already reached religious beliefs, his thoughts about College Members £21,000. Seamus Perry (Massey If you would like to contribute Latin American politics, and his performing in the Fellow and Tutor in English) says, reading of Graham to this appeal, please visit relationship with Kim Philby, the Greene’s The Great ‘The appeal for the Greene archive www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/greene or high-ranking member of British Jowett at the 750th has begun very well, and we are contact the Development Office intelligence who worked as a double Celebration Weekend extremely grateful to everyone who on +44 (0)1865 277691. agent before defecting to the Soviet (see pages 8–10). has contributed. We have some Ian Taylor Ian Taylor Ian

Calendar of events up to June 2015 2014 2015

Saturday 28 June Saturday 4 to Sunday Thursday 20 November Saturday 14 March Summer Gaudy for the 5 October Usborne Dinner Greville Smith Society Lunch matriculation years Balliol Society Weekend Reform Club, Pall Mall, 1975–1977 Dinner in Hall at 7.45pm London Saturday 21 March on 4 October Speaker: Seamus Perry Spring Gaudy for the Saturday 5 July AGM in the JCR at 9.30am (Massey Fellow, Tutor in matriculation years 1964–1967 Balliol Family Day on 5 October English, Fellow Librarian Tuesday 21 April Friday 19 to Sunday and Chair of English Faculty) The Master’s Lunch 21 September Meeting Minds: University Saturday 27 June Alumni Weekend in Oxford Summer Gaudy for the matriculation years 1968–1970

44 floreat domus balliol college news Piers Nye Piers

Why leave a legacy to Balliol?

Building on the long history of philanthropic support the College has enjoyed during the last 750 years, a gift in your will helps to shape Balliol’s future.

A bequest from you – no matter how large or small – is an investment in the highest quality of education and enables us to endow key Fellowships, establish lasting scholarships and fund the very best facilities, clubs and societies for generations of students to come. Rob Judges Rob Judges Rob Please remember your College in your will For more information on how your bequest can help Balliol, please see www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/ bequests Rob Judges Rob Rob Judges Rob or contact Laura Bianco at the Development Office: [email protected]

issue no.20 JUNE 2014 45