Downing 2012_cover_Layout 1 30/07/2012 13:14 Page 2 D OWNING D OWNING C OLLEGE 2012 C OLLEGE 2012 W1 on their way to May Bumps headship 2011 by Mauricio Hernandez – Winner, Downing Association Photographic Competition Front cover: Narcissus “Downing College” by the Master, Prof. Barry Everitt. Downing 2012_cover_Layout 1 30/07/2012 13:14 Page 1 Our City Collection A popular choice – the City Tie designed by Quentin Blake – in 100% pure silk Genuine Leather Pouch – for i - phone series 3 & 4 Mr John Hicks M.A., F.R.Eng., President of the Association 2011–2012 Genuine Leather A4 Portfolio Photo: Tim Coles with Embossed Logo To purchase these items, please use the enclosed form or visit www.dow.cam.ac.uk/souvenirs Downing College Association Association Newsletter, Magenta News and College Record 2012 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the articles in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Downing College or the Downing College Association. C ONTENTS D OWNING C OLLEGE A SSOCIATION N EWSLETTER Officers and Committee 2011–2012 6 President’s Foreword 7 Association News 9 The 2011 Annual General Meeting 9 Other News from the Executive 10 The Alumni Student Fund 11 Association Members Downunder 16 Early Editions of the Griffin 17 Downing Association Photographic Competition 18 Forthcoming Events 20 Next Year’s President 20 The Master Writes 21 The Senior Tutor Writes 26 The Development Director’s Report 29 The Junior Bursar’s Report 30 News of Members 31 Features 35 Start at the Beginning 35 Getting to know Leonardo 36 Downing at the Olympics 40 John Robertson (1948) and his Two Brothers at Downing 44 Curry in Cambridge × 4 – thanks to a Downing Fellowship 46 The Day we met the Vice Chancellor 48 The L C B Seaman Papers 50 A Living Museum 54 For the Record 56 Awards, Honours and Appointments 56 Publications 57 Marriages and Anniversaries 57 Births 57 Obituaries 58 Glynn Jones Scholarships for Business and Management Education 81 Visiting Cambridge 82 Editorial Acknowledgements 83 M AGENTA N EWS 85 C OLLEGE R ECORD Downing College 2011–2012 180 News of the Fellowship 186 Obituary 193 College Clubs and Societies 197 Blues, Half Blues and Colours 2011–12 204 Scholarships, Prizes and Awards 2012 205 Examination Results 2012 208 Postgraduate Degrees Conferred 2011–12 214 Undergraduate and Affiliated Admissions 2011 217 Graduate Admissions 2011 220 F RONT COVER – THE D OWNING C OLLEGE DAFFODIL The front cover shows the daffodil Narcissus “Downing College” developed by Professor Trevor Walker (1956). Professor Walker has developed the variety which produces high levels of the plant alkaloid galanthamine, which has proven effective in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The plant also contains narciclasine, an exciting new treatment for brain tumours. Although bulbs will not be available in commercial quantities for several years, he has generously donated some that have been planted in the Master’s Garden and has offered some to be raffled at the Alumni Day in September. Downing College Association Founded 1922 O FFICERS AND C OMMITTEE 2011–2012 P RESIDENT J G Hicks M.A., F.R.Eng. V ICE P RESIDENT P Thomson M.A. T HE E XECUTIVE C OMMITTEE The President The Immediate Past President (G A J Bevan M.A.) The President-elect. (K Dyer M.A., M.B., B.Chir., D.R.C.O.G., M.R.C.G.P.) The Honorary Secretary & Editor (B W Hunt M.A., M.Ed. (Exeter), C.Math., F.I.M.A.) Assistant Secretary R J Stibbs M.A. (College Record) The Honorary Treasurer N. Berger M.A. Elected Committee Members K E Storey M.A., LL.M. J N Tait M.A., C.Eng., F.I.C.E., F.C.I.Arb., C.Arb. L H Judd M.A. D S Verjee M.A. S.Kabilan B.Sc. (Imperial), Ph.D., M.B.A. (London), C.Mgr., M.C.M.I., C.Biol., M.S.B., F.R.S.C., A.R.P.S., A.I.S. Ex-officio Committee Members S Lintott M.A., Ph.D. (UKC), (Bursar) G J Virgo M.A., B.C.L. (Oxon), (Senior Tutor) G Bennett B.A. (Virginia), (Development Director) G C Erangey (JCR President) (to 14th February 2012) L F Donaldson (JCR President) (from 15th February 2012) D S I Hessenberger B.A. (MCR President) (to December 2011) H L Brooke B.Sc. (Birmingham) M.Phil. (MCR President) (from December 2011) Co-opted Committee Members J A Bird M.A. J B Childs M.A. Prof. A R Farmer M.A., Ph.D., M.I.E.T. F Weiss M.A. Honorary Auditors M J Mays M.A., Ph.D., F.R.I.C. B C Moore M.A., M.Sc. (LSE) 6 DOWNING COLLEGE ASSOCIATION P RESIDENT’ S FOREWORD This year the Association reaches its 90th anniversary. When I look through the names of the past Presidents there is an interesting variety starting in 1922 with the Founding President – the then Master of Downing, Professor Sir Albert Charles Seward. He was an eminent botanist and, for two years of his mastership, Vice-Chancellor of the University. The presidents continue through a range of well known and less well known names including most Downing Masters. Although this year is our 90th anniversary, it will see only our 86th Annual Dinner and AGM for the activities of the Association ceased for a period during the Second World War due to lack of members in residence and other more pressing matters. The historic buildings of the College have changed little externally since they were completed but internally they have been refurbished in recent years. During the life of the Association the College has seen a large growth in new buildings. Changes have occurred in less concrete characteristics such as the number of students and fellows, the subjects being taught or researched, the introduction of women and the general relaxation of restraints surrounding residence in College, now available to all undergraduates and some graduates. Satisfyingly none of these changes seems to have altered the general atmosphere of the College. The Association’s window on the current student academic scene is through our annual prize. The Association Prize is seen as the most prestigious in the College and is awarded to students coming within the top 2½% of the University class list for their Tripos. The Association’s further interest in the students manifests itself in our Student Support Fund from which modest grants are made to undergraduates and postgraduates who can show a need for financial assistance to pursue their academic work. Our Committee and others, including former Presidents Julian Childs and Roy Farmer, work hard to find, commission and sell merchandise the profit from which goes to the Fund. I would like to commend in particular the work of Frank Weiss who, throughout a long period of painful disability has, with the assistance of our Treasurer Norman Berger, performed a key role in the sales of merchandise. In this area and many others Barrie Hunt has exercised his Secretarial role assiduously. So much for students, but we must remember that the Fellows are the power house of the College and they continue to achieve acclaim. This year we congratulate in particular Professor Trevor Robbins who was appointed a CBE and Professor Stafford Withington who was elected a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Elsewhere in this issue of the Newsletter I describe the latest visit my wife and I made to her home country of Australia which makes us realise that the 7 DOWNING COLLEGE ASSOCIATION “tyranny of distance” still exists although modern transport has improved things in some areas whilst e-mails, Skype and social networks have made communication much easier and faster in a surprisingly short time. However some of our members abroad can still feel relatively isolated and I hope to be able to think of ways of bringing them closer in mind if not in body. This brings me round to a topic which I mull over frequently and that is to what extent do former students want to keep in touch with the College. The response to this is of course that everyone has a different level of interest and this may change with time. This does not mean that alumni have lost interest in the College – one of our Year Reps said at their meeting earlier this year that he had found that amongst alumni there was an immense amount of goodwill towards the College. We know that some alumni retain friendships they made as students for life and in quite large groups. At the other extreme we occasionally receive letters from members saying that they do not wish to be contacted – one gave the reason that his time in College was “a negative experience”. For most the departure from College launches them into the all consuming business of earning a living. They develop wider interests and a different social scene and a feeling that college is old hat and not part of the new bright horizon. Family places limitations on one’s mobility and time. However, many people tend to want to get in touch as they get older. They have more time, they cast aside previously pressing matters and perhaps become aware that there may be some comfort in meeting people who started off life in a manner similar to their own. The Association’s Annual Dinner and the College’s Reunions offer excellent opportunities for members to meet. Some members use their dining rights to dine at High Table.