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Annual Review
2010/11
Farewell to...
Basil Mitchell
(1917-2011)
Educated at King Edward VI
School in Southampton, he won
a scholarship to read Greats
at Queen’s College, Oxford in
1936. He was awarded a formal
First at the outbreak of the war
and was commissioned into the
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
where he spent part of the war
hunting German U-boats and
part as an Instructor. He returned
to Oxford in 1946 as a Lecturer
at Christ Church for one year
before being appointed as
Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy
at Keble. He was College Dean
(1949-51), University Senior
Proctor (1956-57) and a member
of Hebdominal Council (1959-
65). He became the Nolloth
Professor of the Philosophy of
the Christian Religion and moved
to a Fellowship at Oriel College
(1968-84). He was a member of
the Doctrine Commission of the
General Synod of the Church of
England and was awarded an
Honorary Doctor of Divinity from
Glasgow University (1977). In
1981 he was made an Emeritus
Fellow of Keble.
Richard Hawkins
(1942-2011)
He came to Keble in 1961 as
a Classical Exhibitioner from
St Peter’s School in York and
obtained firsts in Mods and
Greats having held the Owen
Travelling Scholarship and the
Charles Oldham Scholarship.
He remained at Keble for a BPhil
before taking up an Assistant
Lectureship in Moral Philosophy
at St Andrew’s University (1967-
68). His time at St Andrew’s was
cut short by an offer to return as
Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy
at Keble where he remained until
he retired (2003). His research
interests were on Aristotle and
the philosopher David Hume
but it was in teaching and
administration (eg an outsize
stint as Secretary to the Keble
Governing Body and many years
as Editor of the Keble Record)
that Richard showed himself
as exceptionally conscientious.
Adrian Hollis comments that he
had something of the old style of
Greats tutor whose knowledge
was very wide and by no means
confined to the set texts.
Douglas Henchley OBE
(1911-2010)
He came up to Keble from
Battersea Grammar School to
read Engineering Science, rowed
for the College 2nd VIII and
was a member of the University
Officers Training Corps. He joined
English Steel and then moved
to the Austin Motor Company
before joining the Army (1937).
He was sent to France with
the British Expeditionary Force
(1939-40) and to Normandy
(1944-47) being awarded an OBE
and Mentioned in Despatches.
He rose to be a Brigadier and
Director of the Royal Electrical
and Mechanical Engineers
at GHQ Far East Forces.
After retiring in 1963 he held
Administrative posts in London
and Henley-on-Thames and then
returned to Keble as Secretary
of the College Centenary Appeal
(1973-79). He was Senior
Treasurer of the Oxford Union
Society and Honorary Secretary
of the Keble Association
(1978-83). He remained very
supportive of the College and
of Engineering until his death.
His wife (Katherine) Persis Price
had predeceased him but he
is survived by their sons John,
Richard and David.