The Record 2006 - Keble College - University of Oxford

Letter from the Warden
The Life of the College
Edward Harcourt
Charlotte Methuen
Jamie Edelman
For me the academic year 2005–6 had an unusual beginning
since I spent the first three months on sabbatical leave as
a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University. It was a blessing
to have the freedom of the great Firestone Library there,
and to be able to write quietly with the only interruptions
being a visit to the coffee shop with a colleague or a
graduate student. It was a real recovery of breath and I am
very grateful to the Governing Body for allowing it, and
especially to Professor Tim Jenkinson, who served ably
as Acting Warden during my absence. My one trip back
during that time was for Ken Lovett’s memorial service in
the College Chapel in November, and the address I gave on
that occasion is printed later in this issue of The Record. It
was a moving and touching occasion, which captured vivid
memories of Ken both from his RAF career and from his
period as Bursar of Keble.
Dr Edward Harcourt joined the College at the beginning
of the year as Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy and Dr Jamie
Edelman as our second Tutorial Fellow in Law. The Revd
Dr Charlotte Methuen joined us as a Research Fellow while
holding a Faculty Lecturership in Ecclesiastical History.
During Michaelmas Term Dr Stephen Payne, Research
Fellow and Tutor in Engineering, was appointed to the
vacant University Lecturership and Tutorial Fellowship,
and consequently from 1 January 2006 changed his status in
the College. Engineering thus remains one of the strongest
subjects in the College, even though Professor Martin
Oldfield retires at the end of September after coming to
Keble from New Zealand as a graduate student in 1965
and being appointed to a fellowship in 1973. Martin has
held many College offices in his time, from Dean to (most
recently) Deputy Bursar, and is one of our longest serving
fellows; a dinner held at the end of July for his former
students to mark his retirement demonstrated just how
much he has contributed and how much he has been valued.
We were also very sorry to say good bye to Dr Jill
Middlemas, Liddon Research Fellow and the holder of a
Leverhulme research grant, and to Dr Catrin Williams,
Fellow and Tutor in New Testament, who took the difficult
decision to return to Wales for family reasons. Jill will
remain in Oxford, and as this year she married Dr Niels
Dechow, Tutorial Fellow in Management, we hope to
continue to see her in College. We also look forward to