Postmaster & The Merton Record 2018 Merton College Oxford OX1 4JD Telephone +44 (0)1865 276310 www.merton.ox.ac.uk Contents College News Edited by Claire Spence-Parsons, Duncan Barker, James Vickers, From the Warden ..................................................................................4 Timothy Foot (2011), and Philippa Logan. JCR News .................................................................................................6 Front cover image MCR News ...............................................................................................8 Oak and ironwork detail on the thirteenth-century Merton Sport ........................................................................................10 Hall door. Photograph by John Cairns. American Football, Hockey, Tennis, Men’s Rowing, Women’s Rowing, Rugby, Badminton, Water Polo, Sports Overview, Additional images (unless credited) Blues & Haigh Awards 4, 12, 15, 38, 39, 42, 44, 47, 56, 62, 68, 70, 102, 104, 105, Clubs & Societies ................................................................................22 107, 113, 117, 119, 125, 132: John Cairns Merton Floats, Bodley Club, Chalcenterics, Mathematics Society, (www.johncairns.co.uk) Halsbury Society, History Society, Tinbergen Society, Music Society, 6: Dan Paton (www.danpaton.net) Neave Society, Poetry Society, Roger Bacon Society 8, 9, 34, 124: Valerian Chen (2016) 14, 16, 17, 22, 23, 27, 28: Sebastian Dows-Miller (2016) Interdisciplinary Groups ....................................................................34 24, 134: Bertie Beor-Roberts (2014) (bertiebr.com) Ockham Lectures, Biomedical and Life Sciences, History of the Book 25: Alice Poletto (Wolfson, 2017) Departments ........................................................................................38 43: Keith Barnes (www.photographersworkshop.co.uk) The Chapel, The Choir, Development and Alumni Relations, The 46, 48: Oxford Conservation Consortium Library, The Archives, Domestic Bursary, Academic Office, Schools 52: Meraj Chhaya (Kellogg, 2016) Liaison and Access 54: Stuart Bebb (oxfordcamera.com) 58, 59, 60, 61: Jeremy Moeran (Studio Edmark) 59: Jos Schmid (www.josschmid.com) Hail to New Fellows ........................................................................... 58 70: Franglais Photography (www.franglaisphotography.com) 72: Helen Maybanks (www.helenmaybanks.com) 97, 98: Dr Markus Späth (VRF, 2018) 114: John Rux Burton 120: Gwyn Hansen 137: JRumans Photography (OxfordNA) 138: Louise Brown 140, 141: Suzy Prior 208: © University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry 212: Olivia Durand (Pembroke, 2016) 221: © The Royal Historical Society 231: © University of Toronto 240: © The Guardian Download a digital copy of Postmaster www.merton.ox.ac.uk/alumni-and-friends/publications Features Records Farewell to the Warden ....................................................................62 The Warden & Fellows 2017-8........................................................112 Tributes to Sir Martin Taylor from Fellows, alumni, and students Elections, Honours & Appointments ............................................. 115 View from the Top .............................................................................72 London Theatre Company CEO Nick Starr (1977) tells us about his New Students 2017 .............................................................................117 career in theatre, landmark productions, and wariness of Broadway Undergraduate Leavers 2018 ...........................................................119 Mertonians in… Biomedical Research ............................................. 74 Six Mertonians reflect on their careers in biomedical research Undergraduate Results, Awards & Prizes 2017-18 ......................120 Graduate Leavers 2017-18 .................................................................124 Merton Cities: Washington, DC ...................................................... 82 Dr Ellen Feingold tells us more about the United States’ capital city Graduate Results, Awards & Prizes 2017-18 ................................ 125 Going South ........................................................................................ 84 Zoology DPhil candidate Jessica Phillips writes about her exciting College Staff .......................................................................................126 research on chinstrap penguins in Antarctica Publications ........................................................................................128 University Challenge ..........................................................................88 Captain Leonie Woodland (2016) and team-mate Alexander Peplow Mertonians (2013) give us the inside scoop on the 2018 University Challenge The Merton Society ...........................................................................134 competition MC3.......................................................................................................136 40 Years at Merton ............................................................................90 College Surveyor Mike Jeffs celebrates forty years at Merton Alumni groups and events ..............................................................138 2018 Oxford Town and Gown, Merton Golf Society, Merton History Day, Merton in Manhattan, 1967 Reunion Merton College: a powerhouse for logic .......................................92 Mathematician Ton Yeh tells us about the history of mathematics at the college News of Old Members .......................................................................144 Gardens Matter ....................................................................................94 In Memoriam Alumnus Francis Glassborow (1960) contemplates the importance of the College gardens to student welfare In Memoriam......................................................................................208 Emeritus Fellows: Professor Michael Gelder, Former Fellows: James Wroe, John Black, John Roe, Honorary Fellows: Sir Roger Bannister, Monastic Treasures in Merton College Archives ......................... 96 Visiting Research Fellow Markus Späth discusses Merton’s the Rt Hon Sir Peter Tapsell fascinating monastic seals Events Lost, Little Known and Unbuilt Merton (15) ............................... 100 Alan Bott (1953) takes a look at Fellows’ Garden Forthcoming Events ..........................................................................242 Braam Bequest ...................................................................................102 Dr Peter Braam (1987) tells us about his pledge to the College Book Reviews .....................................................................................106 After eight FROMremarkable years this is the lastTHE time I write of myWARDEN family – my brothers, my children and grandchildren to you as Warden of Merton. It has been an honour and – as well as many heads of house, and there was a huge my absolute privilege to have served as head of this most representation by the Fellowship. It was a marvellous outstanding College. Through those years we have celebrated event and a tribute to the vision of Tim and Lisa. I loved significant milestones – our 750th anniversary, topping the every minute. Later in the month we enjoyed the Merton Norrington Table numerous times, upgrades to our buildings Weekend, a well-organised, lovely, and happy event. Three and facilities, the reintroduction of Biochemistry – and we highlights were the incredibly thoughtful speech from Sir have lost some of our most beloved Fellows. In the face Brian Leveson (1967) who elicited some great detail about of both joys and sadnesses we have prevailed; our Merton me from the Royal Society, a wonderful citation prepared Community is strong. by MC3 and read by Nick Allard (1974), and the Caribbean- themed Garden Party. The food, the music, the marquee – In the last year I have travelled to say my goodbyes to one could wax lyrical because everyone enjoyed them. Mertonians in far-flung corners of the globe. Beginning in January this year with my trip to Hong Kong and Tokyo But before I bid you my farewell let us look back on the where Sharon and I had an audience with the Crown Prince year just gone. Leonie Woodland (2016) captained a team and Crown Princess of Japan. It was a delightful occasion comprising Edward Thomas (2014), Alexander Peplow (2013), and the Crown Prince was wearing his Merton tie; once a and Akira Wiberg (2002) to the grand finale of University Mertonian, always a Mertonian! In San Francisco we enjoyed Challenge. After a hotly contested final they missed out on an incredibly pleasant and intimate dinner party at the victory to St John’s, Cambridge, but amassed an astonishing McCafferys’ house. The dinner party marked the first of my 1,025 points along the way. It was my pleasure to host them farewell speeches, and what a lovely venue to make it in. for a celebratory champagne reception and dinner in Hall to mark their fantastic achievement. Some of these goodbyes have been immensely moving. My PA, Lisa Lawrence, and Domestic Bursar, Tim Lightfoot, Sir Andrew Wiles (1971) was named the first Regius Professor arranged a Retirement Party in June and invited a great mix of Mathematics at Oxford – a truly historic moment for the 4 College and wider University. My Sub-Warden Professor Judith was when he came to a dinner in Hall at which Sir Paul Nurse Armitage has been named as President of the Microbiology (the then-President of the Royal Society) was the principal