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DOWNING COLLEGE ASSOCIATIONP RESIDENT’ S FOREWORDThis year the Association reaches its 90th anniversary. When I look throughthe names of the past Presidents there is an interesting variety starting in 1922with the Founding President – the then Master of Downing, Professor Sir AlbertCharles Seward. He was an eminent botanist and, for two years of hismastership, Vice-Chancellor of the University. The presidents continue througha range of well known and less well known names including most DowningMasters. Although this year is our 90th anniversary, it will see only our 86thAnnual Dinner and AGM for the activities of the Association ceased for aperiod during the Second World War due to lack of members in residence andother more pressing matters.The historic buildings of the College have changed little externally since theywere completed but internally they have been refurbished in recent years.During the life of the Association the College has seen a large growth in newbuildings. Changes have occurred in less concrete characteristics such as thenumber of students and fellows, the subjects being taught or researched, theintroduction of women and the general relaxation of restraints surroundingresidence in College, now available to all undergraduates and some graduates.Satisfyingly none of these changes seems to have altered the general atmosphereof the College.The Association’s window on the current student academic scene is throughour annual prize. The Association Prize is seen as the most prestigious in theCollege and is awarded to students coming within the top 2½% of theUniversity class list for their Tripos. The Association’s further interest in thestudents manifests itself in our Student Support Fund from which modestgrants are made to undergraduates and postgraduates who can show a need forfinancial assistance to pursue their academic work. Our Committee and others,including former Presidents Julian Childs and Roy Farmer, work hard to find,commission and sell merchandise the profit from which goes to the Fund. Iwould like to commend in particular the work of Frank Weiss who, throughouta long period of painful disability has, with the assistance of our TreasurerNorman Berger, performed a key role in the sales of merchandise. In this areaand many others Barrie Hunt has exercised his Secretarial role assiduously.So much for students, but we must remember that the Fellows are the powerhouse of the College and they continue to achieve acclaim. This year wecongratulate in particular Professor Trevor Robbins who was appointed a CBEand Professor Stafford Withington who was elected a Visiting Fellow of AllSouls College, Oxford.Elsewhere in this issue of the Newsletter I describe the latest visit my wife andI made to her home country of Australia which makes us realise that the7