The Queen's College Record 2023

Sports Clubs which he worked at tirelessly from 1972 until 2020; he was quite proud
of the fact that he was only the third senior treasurer since the creation of the body
in 1888.
As Dean, Martin maintained an oversight of all the students in the College, and he
seemed to know most of them, and some of them in considerable detail! Martin
was prone to expressing strong views, but in dealing with student indiscretions
he was quite lenient unless there was harm or danger involved. He had a good
understanding of what might be called the inexperience of youth, which I think was
appreciated by the students and was ultimately very effective in keeping the College
harmonious. The role of Dean is different now, but it wasn’t really until he retired that it
was realised what a huge contribution to College Martin made as Dean. For much of
his era there was a lot less administrative support at College and the Dean did many
things, such as organising use of rooms by students and explicitly approving parties.
Obituaries
Martin also had excellent relations with the College staff, which is what enabled him
to have his finger on the pulse of student activities. He saw the College rules as
ways of maintaining a consistent sense of community. The disciplinary side of being
Dean was moderated by social interaction with the students through the ‘Dean’s
lunches’, which he hosted, and through his engagement with sporting and other
student activities. He would step up when the College needed something, so for
some years he was the senior member of the women’s dining club, Reginae when
there were no women members in the GB with enough time. The students for the
most part respected his interpretation of disciplinary matters and welcomed his role
as their advocate with the senior members of the College and his engagement with
non-academic activities.
Sport was very important to Martin, and he saw it, and competition with other
colleges, as a central theme to hold the College community together with team
sports as a model for how students should interact with each other. He worked
tirelessly to support the sports facilities, and for years visited the sportsground daily.
He was regularly seen on the various touchlines offering personal support when
College teams were playing. This influence through sport extended in important
ways outside the College too. He had a very significant role in getting the University
swimming pool built at Iffley Road; and for 20 years he conducted early morning
swimming training sessions for children in Kidlington. He himself was a key player
for Abingdon Cricket Club for several decades.
Beyond mathematics and sports, for a long time Martin’s thoughts and ideals played
an important part in shaping how the College approached strategic matters and went
about its business. He preferred to influence from the sidelines and was close to
other similarly minded Fellows, like Geoffrey Marshall, Paul Foote, and John Moffatt.
As Dean, with his daily presence in the College, and with good relations with the
College staff he had a deep appreciation of internal affairs. He was a regular diner,
College Record 2023 | The Queen’s College 105