Michael Swann, Baron Swann

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Meredith Swann, Baron Swann Kt FRS FRSE (born March 1, 1920 in Cambridge ; † September 22, 1990 in Coln St. Dennis , Gloucestershire ) was a British biologist , zoologist , university lecturer and broadcasting director, who was chairman of the BBC between 1973 and 1980 Board of Governors as well as Chancellor of the University of York from 1979 until his death and in 1981 when Life Peer became a member of the House of Lords under the Life Peerages Act 1958 .

Life

Studied, taught and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh

Swann, whose father taught MBR Swann as a Fellow at Gonville and Caius College at the University of Cambridge , completed a degree in biology at Gonville and Caius College after attending Winchester College , initially with a Master of Arts (MA) and then with a Doctor of Philosophy ( Ph.D. ). During the Second World War he did his military service in the British Army from 1940 to 1946 and was promoted to second lieutenant on July 28, 1941. He was last at the age of 26 years in 1946 already to Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant Colonel transported).

After the end of the war, he returned to Gonville and Caius College in 1946, where he was both a demonstrator in the Department of Zoology and, like his father, a fellow there until 1952 . In addition to his teaching activities, he dealt with research in the fields of cell physiology and fertilization , whereby he mainly concentrated on the eggs of sea ​​urchins .

In 1952 Swann accepted the call to the Regius Professorship of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh and was there at the same time head of the Department of Zoology. In 1962 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) for his services to research and teaching . As the successor to the physicist and Nobel laureate in physics Edward Victor Appleton , he became Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh in 1965 and held this position until he was replaced by the educator Hugh Robson in 1974. During his tenure, the university expanded on the one hand, but also on the other Student unrest led by Gordon Brown , who was elected rector of the university in 1972 when he was just 21 . He himself was beaten on June 3, 1972 to the Knight Bachelor and from then on carried the suffix "Sir".

Chairman of the BBC, Chancellor of the University of York and member of the House of Lords

In 1973 Swann was elected to succeed Charles Hill as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He held this position for seven years until he was replaced by George Howard in 1980.

1979 he became successor of shortly before the end of this activity art historian Kenneth Clark as Chancellor ( Chancellor ) of the University of York and held this post until 1990. Academic his death was succeeded by following the well-known opera singer Janet Baker . Swann also succeeded the longtime Provost of Oriel College at the University of Oxford , Kenneth Turpin , in 1980 , but resigned this position in 1981 and was replaced in 1982 by Zelman Cowen , who had previously been Governor General of Australia .

By a letters patent dated February 16, 1981, Swann was raised to the nobility under the Life Peerages Act 1958 as a life peer with the title Baron Swann , of Coln-St-Denys in the County of Gloucester , and belonged to the House until his death of Lords as a member.

Its official launch ( House of Lords ) was February 24, 1981 with the support of Toby Low, 1st Baron Aldington , and Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton. In the upper house, he joined the group of non-party members, the so-called Crossbencher .

In addition to his membership in the House of Lords, Baron Swann held numerous public offices in the 1980s, including chairing the Committee on the Education of Children from Ethnic Minorities .

Publications

  • The autonomy of the broadcasters. Constitution and Convention , 1974
  • 50th anniversary of educational broadcasting , 1974
  • Good, bad or indifferent, the effects of broadcasting , 1974
  • The responsibility of the governors , 1974
  • Freedom and restraint in broadcasting , 1975
  • Education, the media and the quality of life , 1976
  • Are the lamps going out? , 1977
  • Certainty and purpose, a university dilemma , 1978
  • The BBC's External Services under threat? , 1978
  • On disliking the media , 1978
  • Reflections on approaching departure. Fleming memorial lecture , 1980
  • Science, education and the media - or, Putting society to rights , 1982
  • Education for all. A brief guide to the main issues of the Report , 1985

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 35234, HMSO, London, July 29, 1941, p. 4429 ( PDF , accessed February 23, 2014, English).
  2. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 45678, HMSO, London, May 23, 1972, p. 6256 ( PDF , accessed February 23, 2014, English).
  3. ↑ London Gazette . No. 45849, HMSO, London, December 12, 1972, p. 14743 ( PDF , accessed February 23, 2014, English).
  4. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 48467, HMSO, London, December 30, 1980, p. 1 ( PDF , accessed February 23, 2014, English).
  5. ↑ London Gazette . No. 48529, HMSO, London, February 19, 1981, p. 2441 ( PDF , accessed February 8, 2014, English).
  6. ↑ Entry in Hansard (February 24, 1981)
personal data
SURNAME Swann, Michael, Baron Swann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Swann, Michael Meredith
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British biologist, zoologist, broadcaster and peer
DATE OF BIRTH March 1, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Cambridge
DATE OF DEATH September 22, 1990
Place of death Coln St. Dennis , Gloucestershire