Kenneth Dover
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Sir Kenneth James Dover, FRSE, FBA (born March 11, 1920) is a distinguished British academic who was Chancellor of the University of St Andrews from 1981 until his retirement in December 2005.
[edit] Early life
Born in London, Kenneth Dover was educated at St Paul's School, before going on to study at Balliol College, Oxford.
[edit] Military service
He served with the Royal Artillery during the Second World War and was mentioned in dispatches for his service in Italy.
[edit] Fellow of Balliol College
After military service, Dover returned to Oxford and became Fellow and tutor at his old college in 1948.
[edit] Professor of Greek at St Andrews University
In 1955, Dover was appointed Professor of Greek at the University of St Andrews, and was twice Dean of the university's Faculty of Arts during his twenty-one years there.
He was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1975.
[edit] Knight Bachelor
Dover received a knighthood two years later for services to Greek scholarship.
[edit] President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford
In 1976, Sir Kenneth became President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, a post he held for ten years. During this time the suicide took place of a fellow of the College, Trevor Aston, who was behaving in socially unacceptable ways. Dover wrote in his autobiography (Marginal Comment): "it was clear to me by now that Trevor and the college must somehow be separated. My problem was one which I feel compelled to define with brutal candor: how to kill him without getting into trouble... I had no qualms about causing the death of a fellow from whose nonexistence the college would benefit". Whether Dover's actions against Aston constituted a deliberate campaign of psychological warfare have been debated ever since.
[edit] President of the British Academy
In 1978, he was elected to the presidency of the British Academy, of which he has been a Fellow since 1966, and served for a term of three years.
During the 1980s, he also held positions at Cornell University and Stanford University.
[edit] Chancellor of St Andrews University
Sir Kenneth returned to St Andrews as the university's Chancellor in 1981. He was the first Chancellor in the University's history to be neither a peer nor an archbishop.
At its meeting on Saturday 5 November 2005, the Business Committee of the General Council of the University was informed of Sir Kenneth's decision to step down after 25 years of service, effective from 31 December 2005.
[edit] Honorary degrees
Sir Kenneth has received honorary degrees from the Universities of Oxford, St Andrews, Birmingham, Bristol, London, Durham, Liverpool, and Oglethorpe.
He is also a foreign member of the American and the Royal Netherlands Academies of Arts and Sciences.
[edit] Publications
Sir Kenneth's scholarly works include Greek Word Order (1960), Aristophanic Comedy (1972), Greek Homosexuality (1978), and The Greeks and their Legacy (1989).
[edit] Hobbies
Beyond his academic honours and pursuits, Sir Kenneth is well known for his skill and devotion to bird watching and is considered one of Britain's finest birders.
[edit] Media appeareances
- Sir Kenneth featured in an edition of the BBC Radio 4 programme "In the Psychiatrist's Chair", presented by Professor Anthony Clare;
- He featured in a BBC Television series "The Greeks", presented by Christopher Burstall.
[edit] Trivia
- While he was President of the British Academy, Sir Kenneth accepted the resignation from the Academy of Sir Anthony Blunt;
- In the 1980s, Sir Kenneth was one of the signatories to a petition to prevent Margaret Thatcher being awarded an Honorary Doctorate from her alma mater, Oxford University;
- People "capped" by Sir Kenneth in his role as Chancellor of St Andrews University included Ken Loach, Bob Dylan, Sir Trevor McDonald, J.K. Rowling, Colin Montgomerie, Seve Ballesteros and Prince William;
- Because of his wide learning and Olympian manner, Sir Kenneth has sometimes been affectionately known as "The Sage of St Andrews."
[edit] Family life
Sir Kenneth Dover resides in St Andrews, Fife, where he and his family have had a home for about fifty years.
In March 2007, he and his wife Audrey celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary. They have a son and daughter, and grandchildren.
[edit] External links
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bernard Edward Fergusson, Brigadier The Lord Ballantrae |
Chancellor of the University of St Andrews 1981 - 2005 |
Succeeded by Sir Menzies Campbell |
