march 2009 - Fitzwilliam College - University of Cambridge

Gujarat United School of Theology and prepared
the Church of North India in Gujarat to take over
the properties of the Irish Presbyterian Mission.
On his return from India he served as minister of a
Presbyterian Church in Kells, Co Meath (1973–75), a
joint Methodist and Presbyterian Church in Limerick
(1975–80) and a Presbyterian Church in Islandmagee
(1980–86). The Presbyterian Theological Faculty of
Queen’s University, Belfast awarded him an honorary
DD for his service in India. Tom died on St Patrick’s
Day 2008.
THE REVD DR HARVEY KING MCARTHUR (1967)
Harvey McArthur was born on 9 May 1912 in India
and was educated at Tarko College, MO, Wheaton
College, IL, Westminster Theological Seminary, PA,
and Hartford Theological Seminary, CT. He was
ordained a minister of the Congregational Church in
the USA in 1942 and after war service as a chaplain to
the 75th Infantry Division in Europe (1944–45) taught
New Testament at Hartford Seminary from 1948 to
1978. In 1967 he received an American Association of
Theological Schools Fellowship to study at Cambridge,
and this brought him to Fitzwilliam in 1967–68. He was
a popular speaker and preacher in his retirement and a
supporter of Amnesty International and the American
Civil Liberties Union. He died on 12 January 2008.
BERNARD BRENN MTAWALI (1963)
Bernard Mtawali was born on 18 October 1935 in
Malawi, and came to Fitzwilliam in 1963 to do the
Diploma in Agriculture, which he gained the following
year. From 1976 to 1979 he was Permanent Secretary
in the Ministry of Agriculture in Malawi. He became
Managing Director of Press Agriculture until 1983 and
then of Tobacco Processors (Malawi). In 1986 he was
appointed Malawi High Commissioner to Canada and
in 1987 High Commissioner to the UK. From 1990 to
1992 he was Minister for Energy and Mining in the
Malawi Government and ended his career as Speaker
of the National Assembly, 1992–94. He died on 14
December 2007.
THE REVD ERIC NEWBON (1948)
Eric Newbon was born on 10 January 1923 in Longton,
Stoke on Trent, and was educated at Longton High
School. From 1943 to 1947 he served in the RAF in the
Middle East and Iraq. He came up to Fitzwilliam in 1948
to read for the Examinations in Christian Theology, and
was admitted to Ridley Hall in 1949, graduating in 1951.
After a curacy in Liverpool he was vicar of Bickershaw
(1957–65) and then of All Souls’, Southport (1965–85).
When it was decided to close and demolish the church,
he retired to Cheshire, where he remained active as
long as he could. He always retained an interest and
knowledge of Staffordshire pottery, and a readiness to
cook, sew and undertake domestic tasks. After a fall,
when he broke his hip, he developed a fatal chest
infection and died in December 2007.
JOHN EDWARD NOBLE (1950)
John Noble was born on 2 January 1931 in Southampton
and was educated at Godalming County Grammar
School. He came up to Fitzwilliam in 1950, to read
Geography, graduating in 1953. While reading for
a PGCE in the following year he held a Choral
Scholarship at St John’s College during which he was
noticed by leading critics in the national press for his
performance in the title role in Vaughan Williams’ The
Pilgrim’s Progress. This was when he began professional
singing lessons; and so after a year as a schoolmaster,
the temptation to try his luck in the singing profession
proved irresistible, and his outstanding musicianship
led to an appointment with the BBC Singers, which he
held until he could no longer combine regular duties
with a burgeoning career as a soloist. In a distinguished
career spanning over 40 years, John Noble appeared in
concert with all the leading choirs and orchestras in
Britain, at a number of international music festivals and
other events abroad, and toured both Italy and America
in concert and oratorio. His gramophone recordings
included Vaughan Williams’ The Pilgrim’s Progress
conducted by Sir Adrian Boult and Delius’ Sea Drift
conducted by Sir Charles Groves. He also appeared on
television for both BBC and ITV, and in opera at Covent
Garden, Sadlers’ Wells and on overseas tours. For
twenty years he was elected by his peers to serve on the
Council of British Equity to represent the interests of
British professional soloists and choristers, and was
past Warden of the Solo-Performers section of the
Incorporated Society of Musicians. He joined the staff
at Trinity College of Music in 1980; for three years he
was secretary of the Singing Faculty, and subsequently
Chairman, prior to the reorganisation. Then he taught
for four years at The Royal Northern College of Music,
Manchester; and also had a very successful teaching
practice in London for over 20 years up to the time of
his death on Good Friday, 21 March 2008, after battling
with pancreatic cancer for 15 months.
FRANCIS IKENNA NZIMIRO (1962)
Ikenna Nzimiro was born on 23 July 1927 at Oguta,
Nigeria and was educated at Christ the King College,
Onitsha and the Universities of Leicester and Cologne.
He came up to Fitzwilliam in 1962 to do research on the
political system of the Ibo, and was approved for the
Ph.D. in 1967 for a dissertation on ‘Chieftaincy and
Politics in Four Niger States’. He returned to Nigeria
to a Lectureship in the Department of sociology and
anthropology in the University of Nigeria at Nsukka.
Thereafter he held posts at several Nigerian
universities, ending his career at Port Harcourt.
Nzimiro had been involved in the Zikist anti-colonial
movement before 1960, spending time in prison for
his activities. His basic Marxist conviction remained
throughout his career, but they were supported by
significant empirical anthropological research into
marriage, family and kinship, and exemplified by his
continuing work on poverty, deprivation and
corruption. He was the second President of the
Nigerian Anthropological and Sociological
Association. He died on 27 July 2006.
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