Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

However, I took the chair at all meetings and could discuss problems in advance
with senior Fellows; this meant that I could have some influence. I was also expected
to provide leadership, though this was resented from the beginning by some. Even
discussions with the elected College Officers were criticized in the difficult early
years as promoting a clique within the Fellowship. Such is the nature of a collegiate
society! All colleges' histories provide examples of such difficulties. leading to
internal divisions.
This appointment arose from my acquaintance with Simon Mitton, a Fellow of St
Edmund's, whose wife Jacqueline had worked for me at the British Antarctic Survey,
as Scientific Editor and later Information Officer. I knew little about the College, but
Maureen and I had attended two College Guest Nights as the guests of Simon and
enjoyed those occasions. Simon wrote to me in May l984 to ask if they could consider
me in their search for a new Master. "Although all previous Masters have been
clergyman, our new consitution allows us simply to appoint the best person for the
job, and we have therefore decided to break tradition". He went on to say that "The
Fellows have assumed that our new Master will view this challenging opportunity as
a part-time appointment. The essential requirements are to guide the strategic
thinking; to represent our interests in Cambridge, as well as nationally and
internationally; and to chair meetings of the Council and the major committees.
Beyond that the duties are very much the choice of the individual." "The Heads of
Houses have many opportunities to participate in wider issues within the University,
if they are so inclined."
Simon together with the Vice-Master, Geoffrey Cook and the Bursar, Derek Dowson
came to see me at BAS. I expressed a guarded interest, but suggested that I would
not be available in view of my commitments at BAS. They pressed me to let my
name stand on the understanding that if elected I would be obliged to obtain the
consent of NERC before I could accept.
In September Simon organised a lunch party at Cambridge University Press, where
he worked, and I met more of the Fellowship. The Dean of the College, Michael
Winter wrote subsequently: "In view of the fact that the college has a long religious
tradition, I wonder if I might ask what your views are on the general matter of
religion. May I ask if you are a member of a christian Church, and regardless of that,
do you consider that the retention of a religious element in the life of the college
would be an asset or a hindrance to its development?" I responded frankly and he
thanked me for stating my ideas "so clearly and eirenically." This was a warning to
me of the problems that lay ahead. I was an agnostic being considered as the
eleventh Head of a Roman Catholic College and all my predecessors in the post had
been priests!
In November Simon wrote again about progress and to tell me that they now had
new statutes placing the absolute control of the College in the hands of the Master
and Fellows alone. They had also set up a separate endowment of £50,000 for
religious purposes "so that in the future we shall operate with Church and State
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