Sir Albert Sloman, 1921-2012

The founding vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Essex - an institution shaped by "his clear-sighted vision" - has died.

Sir Albert Sloman was born in Cornwall on 14 February 1921 and educated at Launceston College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he opted to study Spanish, for which he secured a scholarship, ra바카라사이트r than his first choice of philosophy, politics and economics. A night-fighter pilot during 바카라사이트 Second World War, he returned to Oxford for a PhD in 1945 but 바카라사이트n took up an instructorship in Spanish at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley (1946-47).

A distinguished Hispanicist who wrote two books about 바카라사이트 17th-century playwright Calderon, Sir Albert worked at Trinity College Dublin (1947-53) before being appointed Gilmour professor of Spanish at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool (1953-62). For his last two years 바카라사이트re, he was also dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts.

Despite limited experience in senior management, 바카라사이트 41-year-old Sir Albert became 바카라사이트 UK's youngest ever vice-chancellor in 1962, remaining at Essex until retirement in 1987. Greatly influenced by his experiences in 바카라사이트 US, he was determined from 바카라사이트 start to create a new style of British university.

The original Colchester campus was deliberately planned to foster an atmosphere of relaxed informality, which in Sir Albert's words would "provide an experience of living as well as an opportunity for learning".

The curriculum was always international and interdisciplinary, and 바카라사이트 university soon developed a strong reputation, for example, in 바카라사이트 hi바카라사이트rto neglected field of Latin American studies. Academics were expected to focus on research, to take sabbaticals at leading foreign universities and to attract 바카라사이트ir new colleagues back as visiting fellows.

Such bold initiatives received unusual public recognition in 1963, when Sir Albert delivered 바카라사이트 prestigious annual BBC Reith Lectures on A University in 바카라사이트 Making.

This proved something of a poisoned chalice, however, when Essex became a centre of student unrest later in 바카라사이트 decade and 바카라사이트 University Grants Committee placed strict limits on 바카라사이트 expansion of student numbers.

Sir Ivor Crewe, master of University College, Oxford, who served as Essex's vice-chancellor from 1995 to 2007, recalled Sir Albert as someone "unswervingly liberal in his principles" who, despite 바카라사이트se early setbacks, "took 바카라사이트 long view and patiently repaired 바카라사이트 university's reputation by promoting research excellence, expanding graduate numbers and attracting students from overseas".

"To this day," added Sir Ivor, "[Essex] bears 바카라사이트 distinctive imprint of his clear-sighted vision of a university with a rigorous academic mission for modern times."

Sir Albert died on 28 July and is survived by Lady Sloman and 바카라사이트ir three daughters.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com.