Postmaster & The Merton Record 2020 Merton College Oxford OX1 4JD Telephone +44 (0)1865 276310 Contents www.merton.ox.ac.uk College News From the Warden ..................................................................................4 Edited by Emily Bruce, Philippa Logan, Milos Martinov, JCR News .................................................................................................8 Professor Irene Tracey (1985) MCR News .............................................................................................10 Front cover image Merton Sport .........................................................................................12 Wick Willett and Emma Ball (both 2017) in Fellows' Women’s Rowing, Men’s Rowing, Football, Squash, Hockey, Rugby, Garden, Michaelmas 2019. Photograph by John Cairns. Sports Overview, Blues & Haigh Ties Additional images (unless credited) Clubs & Societies ................................................................................24 4: © Ian Wallman History Society, Roger Bacon Society, Neave Society, Christian 13: Maria Salaru (St Antony’s, 2011) Union, Bodley Club, Mathematics Society, Quiz Society, Art Society, 22: Elina Cotterill Music Society, Poetry Society, Halsbury Society, 1980 Society, 24, 60, 128, 236: © John Cairns Tinbergen Society, Chalcenterics 40: Jessica Voicu (St Anne's, 2015) 44: © William Campbell-Gibson Interdisciplinary Groups ...................................................................40 58, 117, 118, 120, 130: Huw James Ockham Lectures, History of the Book Group 68, 69, 70, 71: © Studio Edmark, Oxford Departments ........................................................................................44 105: © Bryan Organ The Chapel, The Choirs, The Library, The Archives, Development 109: © University of Exeter and Alumni Relations, Academic Office, Schools Liaison and Access, 116: www.facebook.com/photosbyoshy Domestic Bursary, The Gardens 123, 232, 302: Timothy Foot (2011) 132: Professor Irene Tracey (1985) 144: Caroline Holloway Hail to New Fellows ...........................................................................68 183: Gillman & Soame 233: © The Royal Society 237: © St John’s College, Cambridge 240: © Isabel ‘Didi’ Cutler 248: © Magdalen College, Oxford 269: Jessica (Bibby) Giesen 281: © John Crossley (1960) 300: © Virpi Andersin / Tampere University Download a digital copy of Postmaster www.merton.ox.ac.uk/alumni-and-friends/publications Unless indicated, content is correct as of 14 September 2020. Features Records Merton in… the response to Covid-19 ...........................................72 The Warden & Fellows 2019-20 .....................................................110 Some alumni, Fellows, current undergraduates, graduates and College staff tell us how they have been helping in the pandemic Elections, Honours & Appointments ............................................. 113 Views from the Top ............................................................................80 New Students 2019 ........................................................................... .114 Zaid Al-Qassab (1990), Chief Marketing Officer for Channel 4, and Anna Watts (1992), Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Undergraduate Leavers 2020 ...........................................................117 Amsterdam, give us their perspectives Undergraduate Results, Awards & Prizes 2019-20 .....................118 William Heytesbury............................................................................88 David Clark (1984) tells us about a mathematician who was Graduate Leavers 2019-20 .............................................................. 122 appointed a Fellow of Merton in 1330 Graduate Results, Awards & Prizes 2019-20 ...............................123 Some 13th-Century Encaustic Tiles from Merton College ........90 College Staff ........................................................................................124 Five ‘new’ tiles from Merton Chapel are introduced by Alan Bott (1953) Publications ........................................................................................126 Stuart Hall and his Legacy at Merton ............................................92 An interview with the inaugural Stuart Hall doctoral student Mertonians 40 Years: Merton Women 1980-2020 ............................................94 Merton Society London Lecture .....................................................133 Plans to mark 40 years of women undergraduates at Merton, and the much-longer history of women’s influence at the College The Merton Society ...........................................................................134 Lost, Little Known and Unbuilt Merton (17) ................................. 96 MC3: Merton College Charitable Corporation ......................... …136 Alan Bott (1953) has a literary stroll round the garden in winter Alumni Groups and Events ..............................................................138 Merton Golf Society, Merton College Biomedical and Life Sciences Memorial Meeting for Sir Rex Richards ....................................... 100 Addresses from the Memorial Meeting for our former Warden Network, Merton Lawyers’ Association, 1969 Reunion News of Old Members ...................................................................... 146 In Memoriam In Memoriam.......................................................................................232 Fellows: Vincenzo Cerundolo; Emeritus Fellows: David Bostock, James Coulton, John Lucas, Robert May; Honorary Fellows: Christopher Dobson, László Heltay, Patrick Wright; Bodley Fellows: Prosser Gifford; Wyliot Fellows: Ian Taylor; Former Fellows and Lecturers: Geoffrey Bath, Barney Henderson, David Pattison, George Rigg; Former Visiting Fellows: Lionel Opie; Mertonians 1934-91 Events Forthcoming Events .........................................................................302 Let me startFROM by saying: it’s good to be back. THEMy family and I so thatWARDEN more of you could enjoy it. I’m pleased to say that have been overwhelmed by the warm welcome and support we will be, thanks to the generosity of donors, live-streaming from the staff, students, Fellows and alumni. It is deeply more of our services and BBC Music Magazine Award-winning reassuring to return to a place so loved by us all and discover choir in the coming years. Over the summer, we have it is in great shape. My thanks go to my predecessors, Steven permanently fitted the Chapel with our own equipment, so do Gunn as Acting Warden, and Wardens Jessica Rawson and join us online for worship and music. The first term was busy Martin Taylor, for their dedication as well as invaluable advice meeting our undergraduates and graduates as well as staff and encouragement. I am particularly grateful to the Sub- and Fellows. It was also great to welcome our new Fellows Warden, Jennifer Payne, who has been a fantastic support to the College. The Winter Ball was a particular highlight and in my first year and done a sterling job during her two-year spirits were high despite the freezing cold; congratulations to tenure. However, I was not expecting a global pandemic as my the Ball Committee, who did a fantastic job. first challenge! My thoughts and good wishes go to all of you who have been affected by this dreadful disease. From crisis Several other social events provided a welcome opportunity creativity is born, and with Merton’s long history surviving to engage with Mertonians from different generations, many a war and global pandemic, you will be unsurprised to including my own era. We have all aged well! For example, learn that the challenge set by Covid-19 was met with energy the Merton Society’s Welcome Drinks at the Apothecaries’ and inventiveness. The resilience in the face of constant Hall in London and the annual Carol Service were both change and a dedication to deliver has been humbling to lively and vibrant occasions. I am grateful to Dame Philippa witness from student through to staff and Fellow. I count Whipple (1984), the new President of the Merton Society myself very fortunate that I’m head of this House. Council, the committee and Mark Davison (1978) as Chair for all their work creating ways for alumni to remain in touch It started as a normal first year for a new Warden with my with each other and the College. installation on Saturday 5 October, which was a truly splendid occasion, where the College, Chapel and Choir did us all Michaelmas term also heralded the enthronement of an proud. This was the first time such an event was live-streamed alumnus, Naruhito 徳仁 (1983) as Emperor of Japan. To 4  OM THEOM WARDEN | FR EWS N Irene being installed as 51st Warden of Merton on 5 October 2019 ollege © Ian Wallman C mark the actual day (22 October 2019), the College flag was College governance and committees to be held digitally. This flown all day and the Chapel bells were rung at 1.15pm. We preparation enabled Trinity term to go much better than any hosted the Japanese Ambassador to the UK for Formal Hall, of us predicted. Again, I would like to express my thanks to where he was able to meet with Fellows and several of our our tutors for their herculean efforts, and to our students, Japanese students. led superbly by Lucy Buxton and India Morris (JCR and MCR Presidents, respectively), for being so tolerant and positive In January, I had the pleasure of meeting Mertonians in throughout. We launched The Big Merton 1264 Challenge as Asia on visits to Hong Kong, Singapore and