William Walsh (academic)

William Walsh (23 February 1916 – 23 June 1996)[1] was successively Professor of Education, Professor of Commonwealth Literature and Acting Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leeds.

Early life and education

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Walsh graduated in English from Downing College, Cambridge in 1943 where he was taught by F. R. Leavis. He then worked as a schoolmaster at Raynes Park Grammar School whilst studying for an MA in Education at the University of London, which he achieved in 1951.

Academic career

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In 1951 Walsh became a lecturer in education at the University College of North Staffordshire (now Keele University). Two years later he moved to a similar post at the University of Edinburgh.[2]

In 1957 Walsh was appointed professor and head of the Department of Education at the University of Leeds.[3]

Walsh served as pro-vice-chancellor at Leeds from 1965 to 1967.[4]

In 1972 Walsh was appointed professor of Commonwealth literature in the School of English, also at Leeds University.[5]

Following the death in September 1981 of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Lord Boyle of Handsworth, Walsh delayed his retirement and served for two years from 1981 to 1983 as acting vice-chancellor. Walsh retired from Leeds in 1983 with the title emeritus professor and was succeeded as vice-chancellor by Sir Edward Parkes. Walsh was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) honoris causa in 1984.[6]

Walsh gave the 1983 John Keats Memorial Lecture.[7]

Personal life

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Walsh married May Watson in 1945. They had a son and daughter.

Death

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Walsh died in Leeds on 23 June 1996, aged 80.

References

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  1. ^ "Obituary: Professor William Walsh". The Independent. 13 July 1996. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  2. ^ "William Henry Walsh (1913-1986) - Our History". ourhistory.is.ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Professor William Walsh (1916–1996), MA, FRSA, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds (1981–1983) | Art UK". www.artuk.org. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  4. ^ Gold, Ann (18 June 1991). Edward Boyle: His life by his friends. Springer. ISBN 9781349111039.
  5. ^ Jones, Joseph (1975). "Review of Readings in Commonwealth Literature". Research in African Literatures. 6 (1): 95–98. ISSN 0034-5210. JSTOR 3818527.
  6. ^ "William D. Walsh, 1930-2013". Fordham Newsroom. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  7. ^ Walsh, W (1984). "John Keats Memorial Lecture: The Keatsian paradox: the hectic and the healthy". Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 66 (2): 139–44. PMC 2492397. PMID 6367610.


Academic offices
Preceded by (Acting) Vice-Chancellor, University of Leeds
1981-1983
Succeeded by