Somerville Newsletter 2007 - Somerville On Line

omerville2007 EDITION • www.some.ox.ac.uk N E W S L E T T E RAn interview withShirley Williamsp18-20Charities andthe Mediap7The Tale of theSnow Leopard Cubp24-25Judith Heyer:a quintessentialSomervillianp26-27Produced with thekind support of Tesco

The Food Animal Initiativeand SomervilleTesco is proud to be a core sponsor for theFood Animal Initiative (FAI) at Oxford UniversityFarm. FAI was set up in 2001 to carry outresearch into animal welfare standards inmodern food production systems. Tesco iscommitted to high standards of animal welfareand this is why it has funded initiatives such asFAI that can demonstrate practical benefits toUK farmers through farm research.FAI has the tenancy of the Wytham Estate,which it runs on a commercial basis with thesupport of the University’s research teams,particularly the Department of Zoology. Theconnection with Professor Marian Dawkins ofSomerville College was an important factor inTesco deciding to sponsor FAI.The aim is to develop sustainable farmsystems and provide discernible benefits toanimal welfare, the environment, and humanhealth through practical and commercialapplication, and by breeding animals fit for theirenvironment. The research is non-invasive,based on observing the behaviour of animals intheir farm environment.The work of FAI can be broadly separated intoanimal welfare research and the development ofimproved farming systems. Research projects todate have included improving transportconditions for sheep, improving range conditionsfor chickens, defining water requirements forducks and a new methodology for treating lamesheep. FAI has developed farming systems whichare tackling some of the major issues inagriculture such as aggressive pecking in layinghens and turkeys, tail biting in pigs, the need toclosely confine sows at farrowing and thepromotion of breeds of farm animals which areat less risk of poor welfare.During 2006 FAI secured funding fromboth the World Society for the Protection ofAnimals and Compassion in World Farming totake the concept of FAI into other countriesaround the world.FAI has been able to show that improvedanimal welfare and environmental standardscan be integrated into mainstream agricultureand still be commercially viable. This importantmessage and the ways to put it into practiceare being jointly communicated to farmers byFAI and Tesco.contents3 Principal’s message4 News in brief5 News7 Charities and the MediaKatie Ghose gives her view8 On being Master of the City ofLondon Solicitors’ Company9 The Annual Fund10 Tom Bolt: making a difference12 England’s Mistress:the Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton14 The Beneficial Exploitation of Change:a profile of Lynn Haight16 On Time and on Budget –the Redevelopment of Ascot18 Climbing the Bookshelves:an interview with Shirley Williams21 Travel Reports22 Five Young Somervilliansin the New World24 The Tale of the Snow Leopard Cub26 Judith Heyer:a quintessential Somervillian28 Events Programme 2007Somerville CollegeWoodstock RoadOxford OX2 6HDTelephone 01865 270600Fax 01865 270685www.some.ox.ac.ukpage 2 • Somerville • 2007 editiondesign and print dsprint I redesign 020 8805 9585

Principal’s messageAs I write, the admissions process in 2006 has just beencompleted, and I have signed letters to all those youngpeople who came to Oxford hoping to convince us thatthey should win a place here, for 2007 or 2008.The competition for a place variesaccording to subject. On average theratio of applications to places is 4:1(359 applications for 127 places this year).Although some have received a verydisappointing communication from me, wethink that it is more kindly not to keep themwaiting for news until the New Year.The Common Framework for Admissions,about which you may have read in the press,has been agreed for 2007, and will mean thateveryone in colleges, departments andfaculties will work even harder to ensure thatcandidates experience no disadvantagethrough their choice of college. It is designedto ensure that whilst colleges will still retain thefinal say about who they admit, they will beguided by the centralised banding ofcandidates by faculties and departments,based on information including the resultson pre-interview tests, written work submitted,school qualifications or predicted grades,interviews, and contextual information relatingto the candidate’s educational background.112 new undergraduates were welcomedto Somerville in October, with thirty-ninegraduates. The gender balance is, as usual,virtually equal, seventy-three women andseventy-four men. Twenty countries arerepresented from the People’s Republic ofChina to the United States of America andincluding six in the European Union. I havemet almost all of the undergraduatesindividually and in the main they appear to besettling in well and ‘finding their feet’academically. Many are postponingexploration of the wider attractions of Oxforduntil next term, having concentrated ongetting used to living away from home andmaking new friends.With the help of our new Domestic Bursar,Mr Dave Dixon, we have been analysing thecost to the college of its activities that do notdirectly contribute to the education of ourstudents, or support the teaching and researchof academic colleagues.I hope that it is clear to members of theSomerville Association (SA) that we striveconsistently to make the best use of ourresources, safeguarding as much as possiblethe amount that we spend on the college’sprime purposes without sacrificing the qualityof events we run for Somervillians. There haverecently been some modest price increases inSA events. No one likes to see prices rise, butit is difficult to justify subsidies onaccommodation or catering for members ofthe college, given the college’s financialshortfall in covering the costs of our academicactivities, due to government policy and thecapping of fees that we can charge.I am delighted that we are soon to introducean interactive part of the website for membersof the Association, Somerville Online. Recentgraduates are piloting this at the moment. Weare greatly indebted to Mrs Barbara Craig,whose wonderful generosity to the college hascontributed to our being able to introduce thisnew, ‘user friendly’ way for alumni to keep intouch with the college, and with each other.Finally, I should mention the university’srecent consideration of proposed changes toits governance. Rejection of the most radicalof these by members of Congregation wasclear, and Council will wish to consider theimplications carefully, I am sure. Some of thechanges that all parties supported during thedebate, such as review of Council’s processesand those of its major committees, have beencarried out, and greater transparency ofCouncil’s work is in train. The explicitly statedaim of the whole of Council to work for thegood of the university is an encouraging noteon which to enter 2007.I wish you, and all those about whom youcare, a healthy and contented year.Fiona CaldicottFebruary 20072007 edition • Somerville • page 3

NEWS IN BRIEFOn the Ball…by Annabel Harrison, President ofthe Somerville-Jesus Ball 2007.When I accepted the position of BallPresident, I expected it to be hard work. Sixmonths later, that’s an understatement.Reading for a Classics degree at Oxfordalready feels like a full-time job, so adding BallPresident into the equation means I have aschedule that renders me less available thanthe Principal and more stressed than theFinalists. But despite this, I’m relishing everysecond of it, from working out how we candisguise Vaughan by making it into a cinemascreen (whilst complying with health andsafety regulations – a near impossible task), tosampling chocolate fountain flavours andreassuring College that fairground attractionswill not be making an appearance after the2002 Ball dodgem fiasco.It’s always difficult to pick a theme that isfeasible, innovative and liked by everyone. Soafter much deliberation, we abandoned astrongly ‘themed’ Ball and chose the concept‘Crazy-Beautiful’, as it encapsulates theatmosphere we want to create. Beautifullighting, mirror effects and classic aestheticswill make the most of our already impressiveQuad, while guests will be surprised by themore unusual ideas the Committee have had:Wolfson as a Rubix-cube of flashing lights,opera-singing waiters, fortune-cookie raffletickets and an old-fashioned funfair, to namebut a few.Being President means that I’ve had tolearn a skill that I have always found difficult:delegation. But it has been made easier by thefact that the Committee, made up of eighteenstudents from both Somerville and Jesus, isextremely competent. I am overwhelmed atevery meeting by their combined flashes ofinspiration and enthusiasm despite the winterweather and constant essay-crises. The Ballis already fostering a great spirit betweenSomerville and Jesus. The two colleges havea tradition of holding joint Balls and we hopethis will continue.Sophie McCormick (néeWilliams,Zoology,1969) has recentlybeen appointed a Vice President ofSave the Children. This prestigiousappointment recognises her manyyears of voluntary work for the Charity;even now she juggles this role with herpositions as Chair of the Save theChildren National Tennis Tournamentand work for her local branch, Esher.Having recently been BritishAmbassador to Afghanistan, RosalindMarsden (History, 1968) has beenposted to Iraq. In a recent edition ofThe Spectator, John Humphreys wrotein a diary item “The British Consul-General, an impressive woman calledRos Marsden, was based inAfghanistan before Iraq. It seemsa bit unfair – one hell-hole after another– but she told me it was her own fault.“When I got back from Afghanistan Isaid even Iraq would be animprovement …so they sent me. It’sthe last time I’ll do that.”Catherine Royle de Camprubi(PPE, 1982) has been appointed HerMajesty’s Ambassador to theBolivarian Republic of Venezuela. MrsRoyle took up her new appointment inJanuary 2007. Her previous post wasas Deputy Head of Mission in BuenosAires. She has served in a variety ofroles in her 20 years in the DiplomaticService.Tunku Nazihah (Foreign ServiceCourse, 1974) has retired from theMalaysian Foreign Service; her lastposting was as Ambassador to France.She is now a Human RightsCommissioner for Suhakam in Malaysia.Liz Railton (Nisbet, History, 1971) isleaving Essex County Council to headTogether for Children, a partnership ofchildren’s services organisations thathas been awarded the contract tosupport the development of children’scentres across England. She is startingas programme director in 2007.In June 2006, Karen Richardson(1972) was installed as Master of theCity of London Solicitors’ Company,the first woman to hold this honour…See her article on page 8.As of January 2007, Noah Bulkin(History, 1995) is Merrill Lynch’syoungest UK Director.Maggie Fergusson (Parham,English 1983)’s biography GeorgeMackay Brown: The Life has won theSaltire First Book Prize, and was onthe shortlist for the Costa (theWhitbread as was) Biography Prize.Dame Antonia ‘AS’ Byatt (Drabble,1956) will receive the Degree ofDoctor of Letters, honoris causa, atEncaenia in June 2007. AS Byatt is aBooker Prize-winning author and criticwho is internationally renowned fornovels such as Possession, TheBiographer’s Tale and The Virgin in theGarden and collections of short storiessuch as Sugar and Other Stories LittleBlack Book of Stories.Doreen Boyce (1953) is steppingdown as President of the BuhlFoundation in Pittsburgh, USA topursue a new career in consultancy.She has led the Foundation for twentyfiveyears, and in that time investedmore than two hundred million dollarsin grants to improve the region.Doreen has promoted and supportedmany causes, including theintroduction of internet technology tolibraries and universities and moregenerally, she has provided widespreadsupport for civic improvement andeducation in science and technology.Somervillians on The NewYear’s Honours ListWe are delighted to record thatthree Somervillians have beenappointed CBE in the Honours Listof 31 December 2006 :Wilma Dickson (Frame, English,1971), Head of Division, JusticeDepartment, Scottish ExecutiveSheila Drury (Peach, English,1965), formerly chairwoman, ELWa,services to industry, education andtraining in WalesHilary Spurling (Forrest, English,1959), writer, services to literatureSomervillians have been winningprizes from the Goethe Institute inLondon. The Institute askedparticipants to choose a Germanword that is not part of the Englishlanguage and write a 500 wordessay on why it should be. FionaLyle (2006) gained 2nd prize for heressay on ‘das Backpfeinengesicht’.Two years ago fellow SomervillianSarah Waller’s (2001) essay on heryear abroad also won a GoetheInstitute prize and was published inDer Spiegel.page 4 • Somerville • 2007 editionpage 4 • Somerville • 2006 edition

NEWSSomervillians We AdmireA response to Kay Brock’s suggestion in the 2005-6Report that we should contribute a piece about aSomervillian we admire, from Margaret Elliot (Whale, 1945).Eileen Crofton (Mercer 1938);Many of us who know and enjoyEileen’s book The Women ofRoyaumont may have noticed thesentence in her Preface abouthow she found the subject forthis work. She was attending aconference of an Europeanmedical society on smokingtogether with her distinguishedhusband John, renowned andknighted for his devoted andindefatigable work on lungdiseases, particularly TB. Eileenherself had been awarded anMBE on retirement in 1984 butshe continued to speak andlecture on the perils of smoking.England is about to followScotland in banning smoking inenclosed public places; this is theculmination of decades ofcampaigning by doctors. “Actionon Smoking and Health” was setup in 1971 under the auspices ofthe Royal College of Physicians,after two important publicationsin 1962 and 1971 had, for thefirst time, warned the publicabout the harmful effects ofsmoking. ASH Scotland wasinaugurated in 1973 and Eileenwas appointed its MedicalDirector. She had an office in thepremises of the Royal College ofPhysicians in Edinburgh, anassistant and a typist, andtogether they campaignedtirelessly against the apathy andobstruction of politicians andtobacco companies in order toreduce the annual death tollresulting from smoking. Leafletsto publicise research results,educational projects, pressconferences, internationalconferences and parliamentarylobbying were all employed,governed by Eileen’s insistenceon the highest standards ofscholarly accuracy. She could befirm, even sharp, but wasbeloved by her staff.Meantime she was always abusy wife and mother. She metJohn in the R.A.M.C. in Belfast in1945, having been called up afteran abbreviated medical degree atSomerville. She had one normalyear before the college lost Westfor wartime use by the RadcliffeInfirmary; she considered herselffortunate to have been able tocomplete her clinical training inOxford and to benefit from theremarkably successful way withwhich Somerville coped withwartime scarcities. Apart fromcycling round the county tovarious other hospitals she usedto fire-watch up under the domeof the Oxford Observatory, nowpart of Green College.John and Eileen married inDecember 1945 and had a sonand twin daughters in cold postwarLondon before John wasappointed to the Chair ofRespiratory Diseases andTuberculosis at EdinburghUniversity in 1952. Then anotherson and daughter; muchtravelling and entertaining forJohn’s public duties; gardeningand housekeeping; and to myown benefit keeping in touch withSomerville. It is always a delightto meet her; trouble with herspine (and thus with walking)cannot daunt her, and she hasbeen working lately on the storyof the experiences of the firstwomen medical students. A trueSomervillian.ItalianMasterclassSomerville has a deserved reputationfor high thinking and hard work, but thecollege also finds time for epicureandelights. A recent dinner is a case in point.Ponti’s Event Catering has launched TheItalian Masterclass, an event comprising afive-course Italian feast, with classic winespresented by an Italian sommelier. TheMasterclass is held at a variety ofprestigious venues and provides a highlyenjoyable way to entertain guests fromacademics to accountants.The Italian Masterclass in Somerville fordonors, volunteers and other supporters ofthe college was held under the title ‘FromMary Somerville to Dante’ – a celebrationof Somerville and Italian connections.Dr Manuele Gragnolati, the Tutorial Fellow inItalian at Somerville and a Dante specialist,gave a talk entitled “Diving into darkness:a journey through Dante’s Inferno”.Dr Gragnolati’s presentation gave a taste ofthe way in which Dante’s Divine Comedy istaught at Somerville and Oxford. Through ananalysis of the episode of the suicides inInferno XIII, Dr Gragnolati showed that thereasons why Dante’s poem continues toenjoy great interest and success evennowadays lie not only in the significance ofthe topics it addresses (such as freedom,desire, justice, and knowledge), but also inthe complex and challenging way it compelsreaders to ask questions and challenge theirown beliefs.The food was delicious and guests arealready enquiring: when will the college andPonti’s combine again?‘It was our pleasure to be able to bring areal sense of Italian style and heritage to theSomerville dinner,’ says Stefano Ispani,director of Ponti’s and son of thecompany’s founder. ‘Italian culture is somuch about food, wine and the arts. OurMasterclasses are designed to combine allthese traditional ingredients, so that theymay be savoured and appreciated over acultural and a gastronomic evening. I thinkDante would have approved!’page 6 • Somerville • 2007 editionpage 6 • Somerville • 2006 edition

The media is a powerful tool in the armoury of any charity or campaigningorganisation. But what’s the nature of the relationship – David and Goliathor something more balanced? Katie Ghose, (1988) Director of the BritishInstitute of Human Rights gives her view.Charities and theMedia: Katie GhoseMost charities don’t havelarge advertising budgetsand the groups they are setup to benefit tend not to berepresentative of the wholepopulation. So the media is a vitalway to communicate with the publicand politicians. It is a channel – toreact to a story, set somethingstraight or reshape an agenda. Morestrategically, it’s a way of setting theagenda, putting your issue at theforefront of people’s minds.For journalists, charities andcampaigners are a vital resource.In the era of 24 hour news, there ismore pressure than ever for acontinual and fast flow of newstories and features. They are asource of information and critically aline to ‘case studies’ – as they areclinically called – real people withvery human stories. So how doesthe relationship work in practice?Resources are not always the keyto scoring media success. TheVoluntary Euthanasia Society workedwith Diane Pretty, a woman sufferingfrom motor neurone disease. Bothshe and her husband wanted him tobe able to assist her to die at a timeof her choosing. With very few staff,the organisation succeeded increating sustained and positivemedia coverage not only about hercase but more generally about thecontroversial topic of euthanasia andassisted dying. The Society used astring of legal and political hooks tosustain interest, in addition to thepowerful personal story of Mrs Prettyand other people to attract bothheavy and lightweight journalists.For the national older people’scharity, Age Concern, it was 56 yearold identical twins Annie Brentonand Susan Grindrod who broughtthe difficult topic of pensions to lifein the media. Their stories illustratedthe injustices in a system thatresulted in sisters born at thesame time and identical in manyrespects having vastly differentpension entitlements.Partnership working can beanother way to achieve coverage.Concrete policy and legislativechanges have been secured byformer judges, campaigners,lawyers, academics and communitygroups coming together to challengeproposals. When thousands ofasylum-seekers faced destitutionafter the withdrawal of housing andfinancial support, a powerful allianceof individuals and groups flooded thecourts with challenges. Combiningtheir legal cases with parliamentarylobbying, they secured nationalcoverage including Newsnight,Woman’s Hour and Today. It helpedto persuade the Government toalter the situation.These examples and many moreshow that charities have ‘good copy’up their sleeves and that it ispossible to generate coverage, evenfor relatively unpopular causes suchas refugees and asylum-seekers. Ifyou are involved with a charity, as avolunteer, member or staff, trusteeor adviser do think about yourrelationship with the media, atnational, regional and local levels.You have a lot to offer – and thecoverage you secure could deliver areal win for your cause.About KatieKatie joined BIHR in September 2005.She is a public affairs specialist andlawyer with a background in humanrights law and immigration. She hasworked for several not-for-profitorganisations including Age ConcernEngland as well as in Parliament asan MP’s researcher. She is a trusteefor both Stonewall and Bail forImmigration Detainees (BID), and haspreviously been the Chair of Trusteesat Asylum Aid and BID. Katie was amember of the taskforce advising thegovernment on the Commission forEquality and Human Rights that is tobe set up in 2007. Legal Action Grouppublished Katie’s first book, Beyondthe Courtroon: a lawyer’s guide tocampaigning, in 2005.2007 edition • Somerville • page 7

On being Master ofthe City of LondonSolicitors’CompanyI was elected as Master of the City of London Solicitors’ Companyin June – the first female Master in its hundred year history.This has two roles. It is a City Livery company, like the ancientCity Guilds. It is also the local law society for the City of London,with around 12,000 members, many of whom are with some ofthe biggest and most influential firms in the country.The role is voluntary, butclose to full-time. I chair theproceedings of the Court ofthe Company (which can be alittle daunting as it is composedmainly of past Masters, who allhave much more experience thanI do!). I also act as President ofthe local law society, whichrepresents City Solicitors in allkinds of ways, often lobbyingGovernment and others onproposed legislation andregulation. We have numerousspecialist sub-committees whichproduce learned reports and arevery highly-regarded.In addition, there is a welldevelopedsocial programme, inwhich I represent the Company atall kinds of functions includinglunches, receptions, lectures anddinners, often in splendidsurroundings, hosted by otherLivery Companies. The Companyitself gives a number of dinners atvarious venues such as otherLivery Halls, Trinity House, or TheMansion House, which I host. (Myfirst was in November, when I wasdelighted to welcome our ownSomervillian, Baroness Williams,as my speaker. As you canimagine, she was hugely popular!)This year we are “MotherCompany” to the AldermanicSheriff who is scheduled tobecome the next Lord Mayor ofLondon. As a result I haveparticipated in some amazingoccasions such as the LordMayor’s Banquet at Guildhall andriding in a horse-drawn carriage inthe Lord Mayor’s Show!The diary is remarkably full,and the challenges andexcitements are enormous fun.I suspect that when I hand overthe chain of office in June therewill be a sense of relief but alsoa considerable feeling of anticlimax,as I realise that I willfinally have no excuse NOT tomake a start on planning thekitchen extension…..Karen Richardson(1972)page 8 • Somerville • 2007 edition

The Annual FundThe Annual Fund at Somerville was established in 2002 and it isdesigned to provide onging support for core college activities.It currently helps to fund:-• Bursaries• Bridging loans and grants• IT equipment• Refurbishment of buildingsThe Annual Fund relies on small/regular giftsfrom donors in order to support these activities“The difference you make through yoursupport is enormous, and is greatlyappreciated. I hope you will support theAnnual Fund this year”.Dame Fiona Caldicott PrincipalKey facts:“I’m still verymuch intouch withSomerville.I love theplace, andmost people in my year wouldsay the same. It opened up somany possibilities that I wouldnever have had and I’m just sograteful to have had theopportunity to go there.People who support the fundshould know that it doesmake a real difference”.Frank Clarke (English 2002)Over the last 20 years, the level ofGovernment funding for each studenthas effectively halved. At the sametime, the number of students inhigher education having doubledwithout any adequate provision tomake up this significant reductionin Government funding.As a result, Somerville nowsubsidises the cost of eachundergraduate’s College teachingby approximately £3,000, totalling£1.2 million each year across its 400undergraduates. With a limit imposedon undergraduate fees, Somervillehas had to draw on its endowmentfunds to meet its obligations tosubsidise its undergraduates. Thissituation cannot continue withoutdamaging our financial stability andputting Somerville’s future at risk.Only 25% of Somerville’s operatingincome now comes from public funds.The Annual Fund has played a vitalrole in supporting students andupgrading facilities. However, itcannot continue to do this withoutyour contributions. Since its launchin 2002, the Annual Fund hassuccessfully raised over £630,000 –this is a magnificent response andshows what a difference small giftscan make collectively.“I look backon my timeat Somervillewith greatfondness,andenormous gratitude. Theywere so supportive, stillshowing such an interest evenafter I’d left. Somerville madeso many things possible. Thedifference it made to my lifeand career is incalculable.”Jenny Bacon (Music 2001)If you would like any further information, please contactdevelopment.office@some.ox.ac.uk2007 edition • Somerville • page 9

Tom Bolt:making a diby Toni CoffeeQuestion:What drawsan Americanbusinessmanwith a demandingexecutive positionin the City, andwith no connectionto Somerville,to serve onthe College’sDevelopmentBoard?If you are Tom Bolt, the answeris that you want to be involvedin a cause which you think isimportant and where you thinkyou can make a difference. Youhave a limited amount of time andenergy outside your work but youare interested in education andhave been impressed by theSomerville alumni you have met.In addition, you see that the futureof the College is tied to long-termfunding issues to which you thinkyou can bring useful knowledgeand experience.Tom, his wife, Kim, and theirfour children came to London in1993 when he moved fromBerkshire Hathaway and washelping Bankers Trust Companystart some insurance companieshere. He has since returned toBerkshire Hathaway and servesas managing director of anunderwriting agency within Lloyd’s.Kim Bolt had been involved inpolitics and in charitablefundraising in the U.S. andbrought those interests to theirnew post, resulting in contactswhich eventually led to theirbecoming acquainted withDaphne Park. As they met moreSomerville women, and began tolearn about the substantialfinancial issues facing the College,Tom saw a challenge which hethought worthwhile, and he andKim became founding membersof the Development Board.The purpose of the Board, inhis view, is to help the Collegebuild its resources to a pointwhere it is economically able tomake its own decisions regardingadmissions and any other policiesthat might affect the fundamentalgoal of ‘taking the best andbrightest and making them betterand brighter.’Raising a material amount ofmoney will depend on a long-termstrategy of many parts, with themost obvious being alumnisupport. He notes that the currentrate of giving by alumni is a fractionof the standard at Americanuniversities. There are culturalissues, he realizes: ‘In the U.S., ifyou want to raise money, you justask, “do you want to give?” and noone is offended. One of the benefitsof having American voices on theSomerville board may be that theAmerican approach can betempered by British sensibilities andstill take you further than if yourelied on the British sensibilitiesalone.’ Although it is hard to believethat this genial man could givepage 10 • Somerville • 2007 edition

fferenceoffense in any culture, heacknowledges that there might betimes when he would have to ‘goa little softer. It is a new approachand it will take time.’Another important aspect ofdevelopment is corporate giving,which is the area in which Tomand Kim will focus their efforts.Tom believes that Somerville’shistory, as an institution thatcatered to women’s needs whenso many others did not, will be avaluable asset in this effort,especially since the alumni ofSomerville have made adifference. For evidence on thispoint, one has only to name afew of the most outstandingexamples: ‘Every university hassome notable alumnae, but theydon’t have a Thatcher and aGandhi and a NobelPrize-winning scientist.’The goal, after all, is ‘to get`money…. If you think thelong-term future of mostlygovernmentfunded education islimited – and I think it’s a when,not an if, issue – you need toraise your endowment so theCollege will have the flexibility tochoose students from everyeconomic place….Oxford oughtto be one of the few places inEngland where you’re totallyruthless about getting the bestand brightest and helping themachieve what they’d like toachieve. And at Somerville,there is an added dimension:not just the smartest kids wecan find but also those who aregoing to make a social differencein the world.’Tom BoltWith characteristic warmthand humour, Tom notes that“making a difference” is the keyto his own personal satisfactionas well. ‘The big thing you wantin life is to make a difference.More importantly, you’d like tohelp other people make adifference. Otherwise why areyou here?’2007 edition • Somerville • page 11

I first became entrancedby the eighteenthcentury while I wasan undergraduate atSomerville. I wascaptivated by how itseemed to be a periodwhen women really cameinto their own – asexplorers, thinkers,actresses and writers.Most fascinating of all,some of these prominentwomen had come fromvery lowly backgrounds.As I found, however, fewof these women couldequal Emma Hamilton forrising through society.England’s Mistress:the InfamousEmma HaKate Williams (1993) on her receIwas studying for my DPhil atSomerville in eighteenth-centuryculture when I began readingEmma Hamilton’s letters in theBritish Library. After myundergraduate degree, I took anMA in eighteenth-century culturein London. I returned toSomerville in 2000 to begin mydoctorate – and was delightedto find that the porters stillrecognised me! I had alwaysvalued how intellectual explorationwas encouraged at Somervilleand I began to read around thesubject of my DPhil. I called upletters by eighteenth-centurywomen, wondering whether theirletters had aspects in commonwith the novels that I was reading.I found many of the letters dull.When I read a letter by EmmaHamilton, however, I was struckby the passion of her voice. Nevereducated in polite letter-writing,she simply threw her thoughtsonto the page. It was adesperate, emotional letter toNelson, just after he had won theBattle of the Nile in 1798, thatbegged him to come to Naples toprotect her and the Royal Familyfrom Napoleon’s forces. Nelsonwas England’s favourite after hiswin at the Nile – and LadyHamilton meant to grab a little ofhis splendour.Emma Hamilton was born in1765, the first child of ablacksmith in Ness, a miningvillage in Cheshire. Her father diedwhen she was just a few monthsold. By the age of twelve, she hadfled to London, excited by theidea of a better life. There, shemoved up through the ranks oftavern barmaid, model andcourtesan. By sixteen she was apermanent mistress to a youngaristocrat, Charles Greville andmodelling for painters such asGeorge Romney. When she wastwenty-one, Greville, tired of her,essentially sold her to hiswidowed uncle, Sir WilliamHamilton, Ambassador to Naples.Five years later, Sir Williammarried her. By twenty-six, shewas a Lady, an Ambassadress,rich, celebrated and sought after.“I alwaysvalued howintellectualexplorationwasencouragedat Somerville”In Naples, Emma’s ‘Attitudes’,dances with classical references,were admired by artists such asJohann von Goethe. She becameintimate with Queen MariaCarolina of Naples. Her marriagewith Sir William was content –until Nelson arrived. Emma beganan affair with the forty-year-oldhero. When the pair returned toEngland in 1800, they set uphome together, with Sir William,in Merton, Surrey. Emma turnedthe house they bought into anexuberant tribute to their passion.page 12 • Somerville • 2007 edition

Life ofmiltont bookNelson rejected his wife utterly.When Emma gave birth to hisdaughter, Horatia, in early 1801,she secured his loyalty for good.The Prince of Wales and hisbrothers were frequent visitorsto Merton, along with politicians,aristocrats, actors and otherluminaries. But after Nelson diedat the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805,Emma fell out of favour. She hadalready lost her husband. Withinseven years of Nelson’s death,she was in debt for the equivalentof millions of pounds. In late1814, she escaped to Calais,where the debt-collectors couldnot catch her. There her healthcollapsed and she died inJanuary 1815, just short of fifty.Fourteen-year-old Horatia fledback to England. In contrast toher glamorous mother, shemarried a clergyman at the ageof twenty-one and became thearchetypal Victorian matron.As I began to find newmaterial, particularly onEmma’s early life and her riseto fame, a book started to formin my mind. I finally decided toapproach an agent with myidea. To my surprise, after Icompleted the proposal, I wascalled in to meet publishers. Thelast time I had walked throughmany of the doors, I had beena Somerville undergraduatedoing work experience, paid£2.50 a day and given pilesof manuscripts to read.We soon signed to publish thebook in England and America.After work in archives, as wellas time in Italy – and a briefappearance on ‘Richard andJudy’, England’s Mistress: theInfamous Life of Emma Hamiltonwas published in October 2006.To my delight, the book waschosen as a BBC Radio 4 Bookof the Week, read by Polly Walker.Emma has been optioned for aTV film, and we’re currentlydeveloping the script. OtherwiseI’m researching my second book,which covers the monarchy in theRegency and the early Victorianperiod, due for publication inlate 2008.2007 edition • Somerville • page 13

Lynn Haight (Schofield, 1966) set out to become a chartered accounSomerville and has maintained a steady course through that professishe now heads Foresters, the largest mutual life insurance companysay, however, that she has been ONLY an accountant; with extraordiranging interests, she has also provided leadership in organizations dinternational development, and supported the advancement of womeThe Beneficial Expa profile of Lynn Haby Toni CoffeeLeadership came naturally toLynn – in school, where shewas head girl, and atSomerville, where she was JCRpresident. She made good friendsin college, keeps in touch with‘wonderful tutors’ like MiriamGriffin, and looks back on thattime as a positive interlude forreflection as well as generaleducation. But she knew shewould not stay in academia. ‘I feltwe needed people to go out andmake a real difference in theworld,’ she says, and that remainsher guiding principle.Her first job was atPriceWaterhouse, where herassignments included consultingwith the United NationsDevelopment Programme andprojects as far afield as Bolivia andBangladesh. She enjoyed thework and is proud of hercontributions to internationalcooperation, but once her secondchild arrived such extensive travelwas no longer feasible. Shemoved into banking and heldexecutive positions at the Bank ofNova Scotia, where her skills as aconsultant proved valuable in theresolution of internal issues. ‘I waspretty much the only woman and Iwas pleased that I could do thepage 14 • Somerville • 2007 edition

tant when she lefton to the point wherein Canada. This is not toary talent and widevotedto the arts and to.loitation of Change:ight“I felt weneededpeople togo out andmake a realdifference inthe world”job well. I began to notice that Ihad different kinds of skills, that Icould think in a different sort ofway and get around obstacles.’Confidence in her abilities wasall Lynn needed to look for newchallenges and she left the bankto head a consultancy firm. Fiveyears later she moved intoinsurance and in 1999 she joinedForesters, rising quickly to theposition of Chief Financial Officer.In 2004 she was appointed toserve as Chief Operating Officeras well. The hallmark of herleadership, as stated at the topof her resumé, ‘is the beneficialexploitation of change,’ and shepoints with pride to improvedmanagement practices that havereduced wasteful expenditures,improved the company’sstanding in the industry, andincreased profits.In some respects, she notes,quality of service trumps costcutting.Out-sourcing of telephonesupport, for example, is not anoption for them: ‘When peoplecall us they are usually looking forhelp. We want to have our ownpeople answer the phones.’ AfterHurricane Katrina, Foresters madeextraordinary efforts to locateevery possible customer in theaffected area, ‘to be sure theywere okay,’ and sent backpacksto the Houston Astrodome toprovide school supplies forchildren who would otherwisehave started school with nothing.It is clear that not all of Lynn’senergy goes into business. From1998 to 2004 she was presidentof the board of directors of theTafelmusik Baroque Orchestra,which has become the premierbaroque orchestra in Canada andone of the best in the world. Sheis also Founding Supporter of theTafelmusik Baroque SummerInstitute at the University ofToronto, which offers intensivebaroque performance training onperiod instruments. She currentlyserves as a trustee of the OntarioArts Council.Another affiliation in which shetakes great pride is the WorldAgroforestry Centre (not related toForesters), which works to raiseglobal awareness of the key roletrees play on farms. Small farmersin developing countries arelearning to plant trees that willreturn nutrients to the soil andprevent erosion, and the Centresupports research to increase thevalue of these efforts. Currently atrustee of the Centre, in thecoming year she will assume therole of chairman.Lynn believes she has been‘extraordinarily lucky’ but it is clearthat she has made her own luckwith hard work and soundinstincts, and that there is no endin sight to her achievements.2007 edition • Somerville • page 15

ON TIME ANDTHE REDEVELOPby SarahIt was a good dayand a bad day tomeet Janet Walkerat Ascot. As thecommercial andfinancial director forthe world-famousracecourse, Janetwas overseeing thefinal hours beforeAscot re-openedfor the 2006season.Security on the gates washeavy and the builderswere still busy finishing theredevelopment which had cost£200m, taken 608 days andinvolved a move hundreds ofmiles north to York.‘Did I think we would still havebuilders on site at 2pm the daybefore we open?’ asks Janet.‘Not exactly, but over all we arevery pleased to be so close tothe schedule.’There have been nail-bitingmoments, she says, for her team.This was one of the biggestprojects ever undertaken by asporting venue in the UK:aside from the logistics ofcommissioning, funding andbuilding a spectacular grandstand,re-siting roads and improvingfacilities for racegoers, there weremany stakeholders to consult andregulations to consider.‘We held the Royal meeting atYork in 2005. In October of thatyear we had to make a decisionas to whether to return to Ascotfor 2006. We had to make atough call on whether we wouldbe ready.’There were many potentialobstacles, such as bad weatherat the wrong time or unforeseenbuilding complications, thatJanet contemplated.As it is, when we meet she isupbeat and there are BBCcamera crews on site, preparingfor the re-opening the followingday. The season, we now know,went well although it raisedconcerns about the Grandstandthat have involved additionalspending. Janet’s job this year, asAscot’s acting chief executive, isto ensure that the issues raisedare ironed out.Her initial key role was to helpraise the finance for the project asit got underway. Ascot’s uniquecorporate structure made thischallenging, but after a complicatedstart the funding was in place.‘It was very challenging at first.We do not own the land orbuildings, we lease them from theCrown Estate until 2045, so wecould not do normal things suchas offer them as surety.’Ascot’s unique structure alsomeans that three of its Trusteesare Crown appointees and assuch the banks would not beallowed to remove them if theywere dissatisfied. Even if theynever have to use this sanction,investors like to know it is thereand so this narrowed the pool ofpotential funds.Allied Irish Bank and Barclaysstepped forward and, says Janet,the relationship has blossomed.All the banking covenants havebeen met and, she says quiteproudly, they have self-financedwithout help from Government.The management team atAscot is, Janet stresses,relatively small compared toher previous organisations andresponsibility for most significantdecisions is shared.Her other key role is to manageall potential income streams, fromweddings and concerts which thenew Ascot will be able to host, tocorporate hospitality packagesand ticket pricing. Events sinceMay have shown that the newfacilities have been well received,but at the time of re-opening theteam was apprehensive.‘This is a wonderful venue butwe are all a little nervous at thisstage. We all might think it isfantastic but we have to wait topage 16 • Somerville • 2007 edition

ON BUDGET –ENT OF ASCOTRyle (1987)see what the race-goers think.Will they say ‘wow’ when theyarrive? Will they like it?’Ascot has been substantiallychanged by the redevelopment,which is why the races had tomove to York for a year while thework was carried out.The track has been moved42 metres to the north and,jockeys say, is much improvedfor the horses. Underpasses andbetter viewing areas should easecongestion. It is a modernstadium built to cope with 21stcenturyrequirements, they hope.There have been criticisms aboutaspects of the Grandstand, withsome newspapers reporting thatthe Queen could not see over theparapet in the Royal Enclosure,all of which demonstrate what avast project the redevelopmenthas been.‘We identified some problemsin terms of viewing from theconcourse level and we are actingon those now. We need to givemore thought to the Silver Ringand the Royal Enclosures.’Janet had a uniquely closeview of events: her post comeswith a house at the edge of thecourse and overlooks one of theformer ‘golden mile’ stretches.She and her partner moved toAscot from London and havefound the lifestyle suits them(and their dog) well.She was looking forward towalking out to the concourse forthe first time without a hard hat,high visibility clothes and bootson, and seeing an unchangingscene from her window.She says she has adapted to aworld about which she knewnothing before she took the Ascotjob after leaving Channel 4.‘I had done nothing like itbefore. This has been all aboutbuilding and racing. There is adifferent culture here that I havehad to get to know. I know a lotmore about racing than I did but Irealise just how much there is tolearn and I shall never be on a parwith the experts who haveabsorbed so much knowledgeover years and years.’She says there are fewsimilarities with the media worldshe left, although dealing withmany different interest groups andsome challenging personalities inmedia prepared her well for thediverse stakeholders in the racingsphere. She was director offinance and business affairs atChannel 4 and before that hadbeen in television managementfor many years. She trained asan accountant after she leftSomerville but her career haskept her in the cultural arena.As well as her post atAscot, Janet is on theBoard of the DesignCouncil and isenthusiastic aboutits campaign topromote Britishquality design tobalance the impactof mass, cheaplabour in Asia onthe UK economy.At present shehas no plans toleave Ascot to doanything similar,such as work on theLondon Olympics.‘I know what it was likedoing a redevelopmenton one site, with a smallteam and completecontrol over the finances.It seems to me that six years isnot very long [until London 2012]when you look at the number offactors involved.’Although the re-developmentwas completed on time and onbudget, Janet remains very busy.‘There will always be somethinggoing on at Ascot, even on thedays when there is no racing,’she says.lifeimage.co.uk2007 edition • Somerville • page 17

Climbing the Bookshelan interview withSHIRLEY WILLIby Sarah Ryle (1987)Shirley Williams (she prefers not to use her title, BaronessWilliams of Crosby) tells a lovely story about climbing thetowering bookshelves in her childhood home.‘ My parents had floor-toceilingshelves and theywere like ladders. I usedto climb as high as I could. Myfather would watch me andencourage me: “Go on Shirley,you can do it”. My mother wouldtell me to come down.’Talking to Shirley in herWestminster office is like having atutorial with a venerable tutor:the sheer weight of experienceand information, combined with amug of coffee and a perch on achair which has had to be clearedof newspapers could hardly bemore reminiscent of Somerville.Her piles of books and periodicalsreinforce the memory. Our formertutors cared enough to answerour questions and to share theirknowledge, and so does Shirley.But we always knew that, sittingon their desks amidst the piles ofpapers, there were pressingprojects that fascinated themrather more than we did.Shirley’s life is filled with travel,lecturing work, foreign affairs,politics, writing and family. Sheclaims to have slowed down(she is 76) but the pace is furiousby most standards.She believes that her father,George Catlin’s, attitude wasinfluential in shaping her ownapproach to taking risks, just ashis academic career as a politicalphilosopher influenced her choiceof degree (PPE) and her choice ofcareer. Her mother, the author andSomervillian Vera Brittain, was notexactly uninfluential either.Shirley went to St Paul’sSchool for Girls in London andsays that by the time she came toapply for university she haddeveloped a determined view onaccess to education.‘In those days all applicantswere interviewed by the Principal,who was Janet Vaughan. When Iwent in to meet her, I launchedinto a speech about how I did notwant to come there at all and Idid not agree with pulling stringsand I didn’t want to be therebecause of my mother. Instead oftelling me what a rude youngwoman I was, she sat down onthe floor and said: “Now comeand tell me what has made youso bloody angry?” She said shewas a woman of the left andfound it offensive that I shouldthink those things.’Shirley recalls the late JanetVaughan (latterly Dame JanetVaughan) with a mixture of respect,adulation and affection that isfamiliar to anybody who wastaught by her or who is familiarwith Somerville’s history. Sherecalls Dame Janet’s role as adoctor who was one of the firstBritish medics to arrive in the Naziconcentration camps with thearmy, as well as her influence as ascientist. ‘She was working withplutonium in her 70s. I asked herwhether she should be doingsomething so dangerous. Her replywas typical: “I am exactly the rightperson to be doing this. I have hadmy children and I am old.”’Somerville, and more widelyOxford’s, influence on Shirley isapparent from the vividrecollections she has of her timethere. These are worth sharing aspage 18 • Somerville • 2007 edition

ves:AMSthey paint a picture of one of theCollege’s strongest eras.Shirley thrived there, partlybecause of her affinity with DameJanet: the Principal believed thata First Class degree was noteverything. ‘She said that all thewomen at Somerville had thepotential to go into society andchange it for the better. She waspolitical. She was concernedabout the outside world and notconcerned about getting a First.I found her very inspiring.’She was also impressed by hereconomics tutor Margaret Hallwho wore ‘red high heels’ andhad a ‘marvellous other life’which included a friendship withthe Labour Party leading lightTony Crosland. She was marriedto a professor at Hertford College,only adding to her glamour. Shewas a role model: ‘She gave onethe strong feeling that it waspossible to be both a successfulcareer woman and an attractiveperson as a woman. She neverdeferred to men. She had a mindlike a razor.’Shirley herself found politicalphilosophy ‘like falling off a log’,having it ‘in her bones’ becauseof her father, but that part of hersuccess in philosophy was dueto having two ‘genius-like’tutorial partners (BernardWilliams, whom she marriedin 1955 and who became anacademic philosopher, andTom Sebastian, for the record).‘I would sit down for an hourand chat and listen and by theend I’d have enough to go andwrite. I got an A minus!’For Shirley, the hard part waschoosing which path to follow.She was involved with studentdrama, journalism and politics,being the first woman chairmanof the university’s Labour Club,which then, like the studentConservative Association,typically had 1,500 members atany one time. She had to makea decision when she had theopportunity to travel to Americawith the drama association,opting to relinquish journalismbecause she was in love with a2007 edition • Somerville • page 19

fellow student actor, Peter Parker,who was going on the tour.Writing has remained part ofher life, if not her main career,ever since. Her first jobs whenshe left Somerville were injournalism. In 1960 she wasGeneral Secretary of the FabianSociety. She has political essays,books and newspaper andmagazine articles to her creditand is in the final stages ofpreparing her autobiography.But it is politics for which sheis best known. She won her firstseat, Hitchin in Hertfordshire, in1964. She was shadow HomeSecretary in 1971 and wasSecretary of State for Prices andConsumer Protection in HaroldWilson’s 1974 Government. Thiscoincided with the end of her firstmarriage: Shirley cited his affairwith the wife of another academic.In 1976, Shirley became Secretaryof State for Education and Sciencewhen James Callaghan replacedWilson, winning fame or notoriety(depending upon your viewpoint)when direct grant schools wereabolished on her watch. Shebecame a household name in1981 when she broke away fromLabour and together with DavidOwen, Roy Jenkins and BillRodgers established the SocialDemocratic Party. She became thefirst SDP MP in 1981 after winningthe Crosby bye-election from theConservative Party. She becamePresident, but lost her seat in the1983 General Election.When the SDP fragmented in1988, there were bitter argumentsbetween the original founders assome, including Shirley, backeda merger with the Liberal Party.She says the wounds haverecently been healed. ‘There isnothing like time passing, and yousee other sides of people withwhom you had rivalries. My worldis full of people with whom I amnow reconciled.’Not that this prevents herfrom recounting Dame Janet’sview of her contemporary (andsubsequently more politicallysuccessful) Somervillian, MargaretThatcher. No doubt that willappear in the autobiography, too.She has always maintained anacademic aspect to her career,cemented when she moved toBoston with her second (andnow late) husband, the Americanpolitical scientist Richard Neustadt.She was Public Service Professorof Elective Politics at the John FKennedy School of Government atHarvard from 1988-2000. She hasheld lecturing posts at Cambridge,Princeton, Berkeley and Chicagouniversities. Her political career wasrekindled when she was made alife peer in 1993. She led theLiberal Democrats in the Houseof Lords from 2001-04.“There is nothinglike time passing,and you seeother sides ofpeople withwhom youhad rivalries.My world is fullof people withwhom I amnow reconciled”Now she is Emeritus Professorin the John Kennedy School,leading an annual course inleading and development. Sheflew to America for the mostrecent one before Christmas.‘The course is directed at peoplewho are about to become leadersin their own countries. We haveeverybody from the minister ofhealth from Kenya to the chief ofpolice in Bombay. We live withthem for about two weeks.’She loves to travel, havingestablished friends in particularin Rajasthan, India, and China.‘I was the first minister from aEuropean country to make adirect link in education andscience with the Chinese. Thereare 500 scholarships every year.I was invited back in 1984 to seehow the schools were getting onand again last year to speak atPeking University. I said I woulddo it if they promised I could saywhat I want. They were fascinatedby the EU because they are setup as a confederation and areconcerned like us about differentrates of development.’ She tookin a river trip along the Li and wasmesmerised by the stunningscenery: ‘You see those Chinesepaintings of mountains withclouds around the tops and thinkthey are stylised, but they areactually like that.’She has also visited the WestBank and Latin America recently,exploring human rights andglobalisation issues.At home, she speaks regularlyin the Lords, being particularly atodds with the Government overcivil liberties, on which she feelsshe fights ‘daily battles’. She hasbeen pursuing our prisons’ recordon rehabilitation and failure toeducate inmates, 70 per cent ofwhom are illiterate and 80 percent of whom are innumerate.Her profile has receded a littlesince the height of the Iraq warwhen, as the Liberal Party’sspokesperson, she was back ontelevision frequently. ‘Thank Godfor the BBC which has to conveyboth sides of an argument,otherwise there would have beenno dissenting voice. We were theOpposition on that issue.’She retains an advisory roleat the Institute for Public PolicyResearch and at ChathamHouse, the foreign affairs thinktank of which she was presidentuntil recently.As if all of this were notenough, she swims twice a week(her costumes are hanging on aclothes rail in her office), cycles10-12 miles a week and does alot of hiking.‘I have been fortunate to haveavoided any real ill-health. Iinherited my father’s constitution.Time is what I am short of.’It is tempting to recount everyword of her anecdotes, partly forposterity and partly for theirhuman interest. Shirley’s ownbook, due to be published laterthis year, will do that far better.page 20 • Somerville • 2007 edition

Five Younin the New WoThe flow of travelersbetween England andthe Americas whichbegan more than fivehundred years ago hasbeen a constant sourceof inspiration and inquiry,and many youngSomervillians every yearjoin its ranks. Some arereturning to their roots,others seek careeropportunities in achanging world, someare merely curious, buteven a small sample isenough to demonstratethe diversity of theirgoals and expectationsFor Ee-Ching Tay (1993),the journey from Somervilleto New York included twostops. She went first to her nativeSingapore, whereshe worked forfour years inbanking andfinance, and thento Philadelphia, tostudy for an MBAat the WhartonSchool. In 2003 she joined theNew York office of the Swissfinancial services giant UBS,where she makes full use of herPPE background and her interestin international finance. As anassociate director at UBSInvestment Bank, she is part of ateam that advises global clientson mergers and acquisitions. Atypical work week lasts for eightyhours or more, often includingweekends, but she has no doubtthat she is in the right place at theright time, for now and for theforeseeable future.Living in New York, she says,‘is great. The best part is thesheer variety and unpredictabilityof things – there are endlessoptions and you never get tired ofit.’ How would she describe it to astranger? The words she choosesare exciting, energizing, beautiful,picturesque. Theatre is aparticular interest but she enjoysmany of the features not found inany other city, including thearchitecture, old and new.‘Friends tend to swing by’ andshe tries to take advantage oftheir visits to broaden her ownexperience. Her husband works insoftware and New York has theadded advantage of being one ofthe few cities where both of theircareers can flourish.Jennifer Barton (2002) grew upin New York but wanted to studyEuropean cultures and came toSomerville to read French andRussian. She loved England,and hopes Paris will always be apart of her life, but she knew shewanted to work in art andfashion ‘and that is a strugglewherever you are, so I neededto live somewhere that wascomfortable for me.’ That meantreturning to familiar surroundingsin New York, where a brief jobsearch led her to a small publicrelations firm whose clients areprimarily involved in fashion, art,and architecture.Her responsibilities includeresearch, writing press releases,arranging media coverage andphoto shoots,and almostanything elsethat comes up.Because it is asmall firm, shesays, ‘I’m notjust an assistantto somebody. I’m learning howthe business of fashion and artworks. It’s a quintessential NewYork job.’As in London and other bigcities, living costs in New Yorkare high so she shares a flatwith a friend who also studied atOxford. They are within walkingdistance of Lincoln Center andthe theatre district as well aslarge art museums and smallgalleries, and she makes use ofit all. Living in New York, shesays, is ‘absolutely wonderful –it was exactly what I needed.You can have a wild night or anelegant night or have pizzadelivered at two in the morning.’page 22 • Somerville • 2007 edition

g Somervilliansrldby Toni CoffeeNew York is an educational centeras well, and that was the magnetthat drew Will Packer (2002)across the Atlantic last year, tostudy political science at ColumbiaUniversity. It was a challenge to findhousing but in every other respectthe experience more than met hisexpectations, with excellentcourses and accessible professors.He benefited also from living on theedge of Harlem, where he learnedabout the issues surrounding illegalimmigration and saw African-American culture up close. He alsoused the opportunity to explore thecity’s ‘amazing places.’Will completed his master’s inMay and moved to Washington,D.C., where politics andgovernment form the cultural andeconomic raison d’etre and theanalysis of legislative issues is amajor industry in itself. One of themany ‘think tanks’ dedicated tosuch analysis is the HeritageFoundation, where Will was hiredas a researcher – ‘probably theonly job I could have gottenwhere I use my master’s degree.’The focus of his work has beenreducing the cost of Social Securityand Medicare but the overall goal isto develop a structure for budgetreform which Republicans andDemocrats can all support.Although the nonpartisan HeritageFoundation is usually identified withconservativeRepublicancauses, its goal,he says, is ‘to getsomething done.’It’s been excitingwork which hesees as a ‘greattransitional step’to a long-term career and which hecouldn’t have done anywhere else.Sharing a house with Will inWashington this year isJohn Laird (2002), who alsoshares his interest in politicalscience. John grew up inEngland but was born inAmerica so was able to workfor a time for a Congressmanfrom his native district inConnecticut. He then signedon as a researcher/ writer fora former White House budgetdirector who is writing a bookon the federal budget.At Christmastime he hadcompleted his share of thatproject and was hoping toreturn to work on Capitol Hillfor a few months. A furthercareer in political analysis, asin a think tank, would requireat least a master’s degree andhe has decided to go beyondthat for a Ph.D., which will takehim away from Washington inthe fall, probably to New Yorkor California.John has enjoyed living inWashington and being close tothings – ‘you feel connected justby being there.’ He is interestedin the D.C. music scene andpays attention to some localbands but ‘this is a massivenetwork city where everyonecomes from somewhere else’and most of his time and energyhas gone into getting to knowpeople from all over the country.More than two thousand miles tothe south, in Bogota, Colombia,Alexandra Guaqueta (D.Phil.2003) is Academic Director ofFoundation Ideas for Peace,another type of think tank.Founded by a group ofColombian businessmen in 1999,the foundation seeks to reducearmed conflict in that country andconstruct a sustainable peace.Alexandra had expected towork in the public sector butearlier career decisions providedthe best possible foundation forher current role, in which shebrings representatives ofgovernment, business and evenguerrilla groups into problemsolvingconversations. Herdoctoral studies dealt with theeconomic dimensions of civil warand she worked at theInternational Peace Academy inNew York before returning toColombia in 2002 to work withan oil company in the war zone.As a result, she can view hersubject from manyangles and sheis known to befair and impartial,and is trusted tobe confidential.‘Right now,’she says, ‘we areat a special moment. Things cango wrong or improve, dependingon whether we get things right.”The international communitywants a success, and she wouldlike nothing better than to help toprovide one.2007 edition • Somerville • page 23

The tale ofTHE SNOW LEOPARDBy Humaira Khan-Kuzmiak (1982)My husband Doug and Ihad been working asconsultants in theNorthern Areas of Pakistan withthe World Wide Fund for Nature –Pakistan (WWF-P) for almost ayear when the incident tookplace. This area, as the officialname implies, is located in theextreme north of the country,bordering with western China inthe northeast, the Wakhancorridor of Afghanistan in thenorth and Kashmir to the south.The world’s eight highest peaksafter Mt. Everest and some of thelongest glaciers outside thesub-polar regions are found here.It has an extreme climate withrelatively sparse population. Gilgit,the administrative capital of theNorthern Areas, is situated alongthe modern Karakorum Highwayleading from Pakistan into China,and originated as a trading centrebeside the ancient Silk Route.Today it is a modern town ofabout 60,000 people, enclosedamong the towering peaks of theKarakorum and Hindu Kushmountains. It was in Gilgit, wherethe regional office of the WWF-Pis located, that this internationalsaga began.One day in mid-July, 2005 acolleague came to us and saidthat he had been approached bya man from the village of Nalter(about 90 minutes drive northwestof Gilgit at 7,000 ft elevation).He had been taking care of anorphaned male snow leopard cubin his house for three weeks butnow sought our assistance. Ourcolleague insisted that he hadcontacted others for help butnot elicited much interest. Hesounded desperate. So Dougdrove up with him to Nalter andcame back to report that the cub,about six weeks old, was in badcondition, and that somethingneeded to be done urgently.The snow leopard is criticallyendangered – and rare –throughout its range of CentralAsia, northern Pakistan, Tibetand Nepal, so it was essential tosave this cub.Doug and I concluded that thecub had to be brought down toGilgit and got WWF-P headoffice’s permission to do so. Hewas fed an infant’s formula calledPedialyte to re-hydrate him. Itworked wonders and he wasrevived by the time he arrived inGilgit. There he was given goat’smilk, and a lot of curious attentionby staff members in the WWF-Pbuilding! But, after 7 pm, wheneverybody had left the office,Doug and I found ourselvesholding this cub, who lookedlike a chubby little kitten withblack-spotted grey fur and darkblue eyes. So he ended upsleeping in our room that night,in his little cardboard box with agrassy bottom!In brief, the cub was handedover the next day to the NorthernAreas Wildlife Division which ownsall wildlife, and taken to their RestHouse in the Khunjerab NationalPark, five hours’ drive up theKarakorum Highway. There hewas lucky enough to be put in thecare of one of their employeesnamed Kamal-ud-din. He becamethe cub’s “mother and father” forthe next one year, gave him thename of Leo and, with the help ofother officials, helped him growpage 24 • Somerville • 2007 edition

CUBCollegeHospitalityinto a healthy teenager in spite of tightbudgets and inadequate facilities. We,along with other concerned people,urged the officials not to release Leointo the wild because of his lack ofsurvival skills.At the same time, Doug and Ihelped stimulate, as private individuals,international concern for Leo. Manycountries with snow leopard facilitiesbecame interested in acquiring him.Eventually the government of Pakistandecided to loan him to the Bronx Zooin New York for breeding purposes. Hewas transferred there in August 2006where he is now acting as ambassadorof his region. In return, the zoo willassist Pakistan in building a snowleopard rehabilitation, research andeducation center close to where Leowas born. He will then be returned tothis new center with a bride andchildren in tow! Many people, includingthe Presidents of Pakistan and theUSA, are interested in ensuring hisreturn to his place of birth.So, saving a small snow leopardcub in remote, northern Pakistan hasled to a renewed international interestin the survival of the species in thewild, and to efforts to establish acenter which was always needed inthe species’ home range but neverbefore contemplated. We are working,again in our private capacity, to helpmake sure that this center is built tointernational standards and completedwithin the next three years, so Leocan go back home.Old Somervillians visiting Oxford are invited tomake themselves known to the SomervilleAssociation Secretary, Liz Cooke (Greenwood,History 1964), or to the Librarian, Pauline Adams(History, 1962), who is one of the GoverningBody’s representatives on the SomervilleAssociation Committee. Both Liz and Paulinewould be delighted to meet visitors.Accommodation: We warmly welcome graduatesvisiting Oxford, who would like to stay in College; the Bursarymay have limited accommodation at competitive rates. Pleasenote that accommodation is in a basic single student room,sharing bathroom facilities: we do not have any en-suite,double, twin or adjoining rooms.If available, accommodation is on a room-only basis. Whenthe pantry is open, breakfast can be purchased on a pay-asyou-gobasis, or alternatively from a range of establishmentsclose to college. Parking is not normally available to visitors,but, if space allows, permission may be sought by priorapplication to the Domestic Bursar.For further information and to check availability pleasecontact the Bursary on 01865 270615, or by fax on01865 270616, email bursary@some.ox.ac.ukConferences: The College caters for residential andday conferences and meetings in a number of venues withinCollege. We are able to supply a full range of audio visualequipment and can provide a wide range of catering optionsfor your event.Civil Ceremonies: The College now has a licence tohold civil ceremonies (weddings, vows and naming ceremonies)in a number of venues within college. We can also provide afull range of catering services from reception drinks to aformal banquet.Celebratory events: The College is an ideal venuefor that special event or get-together: banquets, dinners,christenings and anniversaries in a number of rooms and Hallsavailable in College, suitable for a variety of functions.Full details of what we can offer, along with bookingsforms, are contained on the college web sitewww.some.ox.ac.uk.2007 edition • Somerville • page 25

Judith Heyer has been associated with Somerville for agood deal of her life, first as an undergraduate – she cameup in 1956 to read Physics, switching to PPE – and thenreturned to Somerville in 1975 as Tutorial Fellow inEconomics, retiring in 2004.a quintessentJudith HeyerJudith Heyer is aquintessential Somervillian –my first encounter with herwas when the Principal, JanetVaughan, talked to us newundergraduates in the autumn of1958. She recorded how Judith’sparents had telephoned duringthe Christmas vacation,concerned that Judith mightneed help in getting out of thencommunist Hungary, where shehad been arrested as she wastaking medicine to studentrevolutionaries. Janet Vaughanhad told Judith’s parents that shewould be alright ‘because she is aSomervillian’. She was right –Judith was a true Somervillian,a person of bravery and integrity,and the College is lucky to havebenefited from these qualities,as well as her commitment,hardwork, high academicstandards and scholarship forover thirty years.Immediately after leavingSomerville, Judith began workon a Ph.D. on smallholderagriculture in Kenya. There shemet and married Sarjit Heyer,Chief Government statistician,himself an outstanding person,serious, clever and charming.They had three children, but verysadly he died suddenly when theyoungest child was just two. Soonafter that Judith left Kenya andcame to Oxford.Judith has made a hugecontribution to Somerville and toOxford. She was an outstandingteacher, always pushing studentsto the frontier of their ability,making them question establishedviews and demanding the higheststandards. Her former studentsrecall how her teaching alteredtheir thinking, ambitions andcareers. In College too she wasa wonderfully reliable andsupportive colleague, and formany years the pivotal figure onFinance Committee. In theUniversity, Judith was one of asmall group who initiated theone year M.Sc. in DevelopmentEconomics. This degreetransformed DevelopmentEconomics at Oxford making it aworld leader in this area. It alsocontributed to theprofessionalisation of those whowork in or on developingcountries – with students goingon to work in Whitehall’sDepartment for InternationalDevelopment, OXFAM and otherNGOs, UNDP and other UNagencies as well as the WorldBank and the IMF.Judith’s research spans twocontinents – Africa and India.In both she has consistentlyfocussed on rural development:In Kenya (where she lectured inthe University of Nairobi andoversaw the Africanisation of theEconomics Department) sheworked on peasant agriculture –a hitherto neglected topic. Sheshowed what a major contributionpage 26 • Somerville • 2007 edition

Judith Heyer:ial Somervilliansmallholders made to the Kenyaneconomy and identified policiesthat might improve their incomesand productivity. She advised thegovernment on a wide variety ofpolicies affecting smallholders.After coming to Oxford, Judithstarted work in South India,during vacations and sabbaticals,collecting detailed primary dataon the behaviour of poor ruralhouseholds with respect not onlyto incomes and productionactivities but also savings, andwhat they did with them. Shestudied how activities andincomes were allocated withinthe household and how theseinteracted with institutional andcultural aspects of behaviour.Judith has made a fascinatingcomparison between the nature ofpoverty in India and that of Africa.In India, social and economicstratification (class, caste andgender) play crucial roles in thegeneration and perpetuation ofpoverty. But in Africa, poverty isless structural and the poor doless well out of similar activities,because of family circumstances(illness or age), political and otherconnections or worse geographicor climatic contexts.The most exciting part ofJudith’s work is her long term studyof a rural area in South India. Shehas conducted intensive surveys ofaround 200 households in 1981/2,1996, and 2003/4, giving her anunparalleled insight into long-termdevelopments. Her work bringssocial, economic, and culturalaspects together; something highlyunusual in the context of thenormal disciplinary segmentationsof academic life. She shows howeconomic aspects (accumulationstrategies towards assets, forexample) are related to both socialfactors (marriage practices,dowries, size of families, education)and cultural ones (caste,untouchability). For example,decisions about family structure(size and gender) are related tostrategies of asset accumulation inthe context of the dowryobligations that girls bring, and thedowry benefits associated withboys. The impact has been a bigdisincentive to have daughters thatsurvive; among the families thatJudith has interviewed the ratio ofgirls to boys in the richer strata hasdropped to just 0.65. This hasbeen brought about in this casenot by sex selective abortion orfemale infanticide as documentedin neighbouring areas but byneglect of girls. She also showshow marriage is regarded as aninvestment that can bring thehousehold helpful economicconnections. Her research exploresthe mechanisms through whichmembers of Scheduled Castes arecondemned to poverty fromgeneration to generation despitethe wide range of policy initiativesthat are supposed to prevent this inpost-independence India.More broadly, Judith isinterested in how inequality isaffected by processes ofeconomic development, and inparticular the effect of economicdevelopment on the poor. Whileaverage prosperity rose in thearea she studied, she showedthat this was not the case at thebottom of the pile, notablyamong Scheduled Castes andespecially women, whoseposition did not improve andsometimes worsened.I should stress how unusualJudith Heyer’s work is. To be ableto adopt such a multidisciplinaryapproach offers huge newinsights. Even more unusual isto have the patience to dodetailed field work and followit up over a 25 year period. Sofar we have seen only tantalisingglimpses of the output of thisresearch, in published papers todate. We can expect a greatbook to emerge. As adevelopment economist thereforeI welcome her retirement. Butas a colleague in the Universityand in Somerville, this was asad moment.Frances Stewart (1958)2007 edition • Somerville • page 27

Events Programme 2007The following events will be taking place in Somerville. For up-to-dateinformation please check the College website www.some.ox.ac.ukMONTH DATE EVENTMARCH 31st American West Coast event at Minnie McMillian’s (1960) and JohnRichard’s (California and Magdalen, 1951) homeAPRIL 30th Somerville Lawyers Group: Claudia Sturt (Governor of Belmarsh)at Linklaters, LondonJUNE 13th Somerville London Group: Afternoon at the Chelsea Physic Garden23rd Event for recent graduates: Somerville Formal Hall (1994-2002)JUNE-JULY 30th-1st Commemoration Service and Gaudy for 1967-1975SEPTEMBER 14th-16th Cross-collegiate reunion: University-wide reunion event15th• Saturday: Black tie dinner, open to all (partners welcome)16th • Sunday: Golden reunion for 195729thLiterary Lunch: Sir Simon JenkinsNOVEMBER 15th SA At Home for Oxford Somervillians17thMedia DayFor further details of any of the above events, please contact Liz Cooke inthe first instance (01865 270632 or elizabeth.cooke@some.ox.ac.uk)page 28 • Somerville • 2007 edition