Deaths

Please alert us to the recent deaths of any other Rhodes Scholars by emailing admin@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk

PROFESSOR JOHN DAVID ALEXANDER CBE (Tennessee & Christ Church 1954) (18 October 1932 - 25 July 2010)
US National Secretary to the Rhodes Trust from 1981 to 1998, President of Pomona College in California, and of Rhodes College in Tennessee, and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

Please see our tribute recognising Professor Alexander for his invaluable and generous service to the Rhodes community. Please also visit Pomona College's tribute page and memorial page to David Alexander. For other tributes, please see Rhodes College, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, and obituaries in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Contra Costa Times.

For information regarding gifts in memory of David Alexander, please click here.

MRS JINNY FLETCHER (d. 21 July 2010)
Mrs Jinny Fletcher, whose warm hospitality at Rhodes House from 1980 to 1989 was deeply appreciated by Rhodes Scholars, has passed away, aged 88. Please visit Rhodes news pages for a tribute to Mrs Fletcher's exceptional contribution. Please also see announcements in The Times, and in The Daily Telegraph.

HERBERT C. L. MERILLAT (Arizona & Merton 1935) (7 May 1915 - 10 April 2010)
Herbert Merillat served as a Major during World War II, subsequently becoming an expert in international law and writing two books based on his experiences in the Battle of Guadalcanal, a seven month campaign in the Pacific.

PROFESSOR JOHANNES ALBERTUS (BERT) MYBURGH (Orange Free State & New College 1952) (31 May 1928 – 7 April 2010)
Clinical surgeon, teacher and internationally recognised researcher for his work in transplantation, hepato-biliary, gastric and colonic surgery. Past president of several medical and surgical societies in southern Africa. For tributes, visit CMSA and HPCSA.

DR IAN HENDERSON (Nova Scotia & Exeter 1950) (17 January 1928 - 22 February 2010)
Long-time scientist at the Defense Research Establishment in Ottawa, focusing on satellites and remote sensing.

DR ARTHUR HULL HAYES, JR. (California & Lincoln 1955) (18 July 1933 – 11 February 2010)
Professor of clinical pharmacology who led the US Food and Drug Administration.  For tribute and obituary please visit: Tributes and Today's Obituaries.

DR MALCOLM ROBERT 'JESSE' WYLLIE (South African College School & Magdalen 1940) (31 July 1919 - 12 February 2010)
An accomplished scientist, engineer, petroleum executive and amateur racecar driver, Dr Wyllie was best-known for his 72 patents related to oil exploration and production. "Doc" Wyllie (as he was known), served in the Royal Navy during World War II and "often reflected on his wonderful boyhood in Cape Town". 

PROFESSOR REX NETTLEFORD (Jamaica & Oriel 1957) (3 February 1933 – 2 February 2010)
Professor and vice-chancellor emeritus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), founder of the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC), writer, dancer, manager, orator, critic and mentor passed away on 2 February 2010, just hours before he would have celebrated his 77th birthday.  For tributes visit:  The Gleaner, TIMESONLINE, and Nation News.  For a tribute to Rex Nettleford by Peter Goldson (Jamaica & St John’s 1985), the Jamaica and Commonwealth Caribbean Secretary to the Rhodes Trust, click here.  For a remembrance on Rex Nettleford by Ian Macdonald (Ontario & Balliol 1952), click here.

For news of a memorial event at the Jamaican High Commission in London on 10 April 2010, at which the Warden of Rhodes House, Dr Donald Markwell, paid tribute to Rex Nettleford, click here.

EDWARD W PELL (Pennsylvania & New College 1960) (31 October 1938 - 4 January 2010)
A former Polical and Security Affairs Advisor to the United States mission to the United Nations, Pell held a number of senior positions in the insurance industry and served on several Rhodes Scholarship selection committees in addition to other charitable boards. 

DR CHARLES EDWARD ELLIOTT (Queensland & Balliol 1948) (10 August 1922 - 2 January 2010)
A dedicated medical practitioner, Dr Elliott was an accomplished sportsman serving his college as a front rower, a front row forward in football, and was a noted cricketer.  Click to see obituary:  O.B.A. Churchie.

DR EDWIN BUSUTTIL (Malta & Christ Church 1942) (17 September 1923 – 20 December 2009)
A member of the European Commission of Human Rights for 32 years, also served as Head of Department of Public Law and Criminal Law, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Pro-Rector of the University of Malta, and as Deputy Leader of Malta's Constitutional Party.

DR LINCOLN GORDON (New York & Balliol 1933) (10 September 1913 - 19 December 2009)
Economist, educator, administrator and diplomat. Click here to see obituaries in The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post.

PROFESSOR ELIZABETH FALLAIZE (Rhodes Trustee from 2006 to 2009) (3 June 1950 - 6 December 2009)
Professor of French in the Faculty of Modern Languages and a Fellow of St John’s College, appointed to the university-wide role of Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education in 2005.  Professor Fallaize served as a Rhodes Trustee from 2006 to 2009 and will be affectionately remembered for her dedication to the Trust, most especially for her work in encouraging women Scholars and the formation of the Rhodes Women group. For tributes/obituaries, visit: St John's College, The Guardian, The Independent, the Oxford Mail and The Times.

DR ERIC BRIAN JEFFCOAT SMITH (New South Wales & New College 1941) (26 March 1918 – 3 December 2009)
A chemist serving in the public and private sectors, who was active in professional bodies and the Fairbridge Society, and who served in the Australian Military Forces during World War II.

MR J BURKE KNAPP (Oregon & St John's 1933) (25 January 1913 - 22 November 2009)
Economist and banker, whose contributions to US and international economic issues included work for the Federal Reserve and the World Bank, and included roles at Bretton Woods and in the drafting of the Marshall Plan. The Warden spoke warmly of Burke Knapp, whom he knew and admired, at the dinner in San Francisco for Rhodes alumni on November 23. Read more about Mr Knapp on the AARS site.

DR HAROLD WARWICK (New Brunswick & Christ Church 1936) ( 20 May 1915 - 21 October 2009)
Professor of Medicine, academic administrator and pioneering researcher in cancer control and treatment

DR DIETRICH von BOTHMER (Germany & Wadham 1938) (26 October 1918 - 12 October 2009)
Art historian, expert in Greek vases and Distinguished Research Curator of Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

DR SHAUN WYLIE (17 January 1913 - 2 October 2009)
Cryptanalyst who helped to break the German Enigma cypher during World War II, and fourth son of Sir Francis Wylie, the first Warden of Rhodes House. (For a brief biography of Sir Francis James Wylie, please click here)

PROFESSOR LEWIS MUDGE (New Jersey & Queens 1951) (22 October 1929 - 11 September 2009)
Christian theologian, professor and ethicist devoted to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue

PROFESSOR HUGH LAWFORD (Alberta & Wadham 1955) (8 September 1933 - 17 August 2009)
Professor of law and champion of computerized legal research in Canada

PROFESSOR DAVID ARNOLD ALBERT STAGER (Ontario & Balliol 1960) (19 September 1937 - 23 July 2009)
Professor of economics and expert on the economics and financing of higher education and labour markets

DR GEORGE PIRANIAN (Utah & Hertford 1937) (2 May 1914 - 31 August 2009)
Mathematician, violist, and sailing enthusiast

DR BRIAN GOODWIN (Quebec & Queen's 1954) (25 March 1931 - 15 July 2009)
Key founder of theoretical biology and advocate of holistic science

DR  AYUB KHAN OMMAYA (Pakistan & Balliol 1954) (14 April 1930 - 10 July 2009)
Neurosurgeon and expert on brain injuries

LAWRENCE A MILLER (Illinois & New College 1969) (3 December 1946 - 27 June 2009)
Senior counsel in the Washington DC office of Sidley Austin

DR TANJORE RAMACHANDRA ANANTHARAMAN (India & Trinity 1951) (25 November 1927 – 18 June 2009)
A Fellow of all three Science Academies of India and a Fellow of the India National Academy of Engineering, he built the first centre of advanced study in a field of engineering in India.  Read Tribute at Materialia Indica and Obituary at Trinity College Oxford Report 2008-2009, News, page 58.

MR JOHN S DAVISON (Michigan & Christ Church 1955) (21 May 1933 - 16 June 2009)
Former US Ambassador to Niger

PROFESSOR MARTIN WAGNER (Michigan & Magdalen 1935) (11 September 1911 - 15 June 2009)
Former director of and professor emeritus at the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (ILIR)

DR GORDON RAISBECK (New York & New College, 1947) (4 May 1925 - 15 June 2009)
Mathematician and researcher in applied mathematics

MR RICHARD WILEY (Maine & Balliol 1949) (18 July 1928 - 12 June 2009)
Lawyer, banker and educator

DR TAJUDEEN ABDUL-RAHEEM (Nigeria & St Peter's 1983) (6 January 1961 - 25 May 2009)
Pan Africanist activist, campaigning journalist and editor

DR MARK DaCOSTA ALLEYNE (Commonwealth Caribbean & St Antony's 1986) (14 December 1961 - 20 May 2009)
Communications scholar, author, journalist and broadcaster

JOHN L MOORE JR (Florida & Balliol 1951) (24 August 1929 - 6 May 2009)
World traveler, senior legal practitioner and banking executive

PROFESSOR SAMUEL BEER (Michigan & Balliol 1932) (28 July 1911 - 7 April 2009)
Professor of Comparative Government and expert on British politics

MR ROBERT T MALLOY (New York & New College 1939) (20 May 1917 - 30 March 2009)
Attorney and author

DR ROGER BATE (Colorado & Magdalen 1947) ( 17 January 1923 - 18 March 2009)
Briagadier General (USAF Retired), professor and former Vice Dean of the US Airforce Academy and Chief Computer Scientist for Texas Instruments.

DR WILLIAM PACKARD (New Zealand & University 1948) (4 April 1925 - 11 March 2009)
Professor of Geography, mountaineer, former Secretary of the Australian Rhodes Scholar Association, and passionate advocate of palliative care

DR ANNA DONALD (New South Wales & New College 1989) (7 April 1966 - 1 February 2009)
Physician, economist, historian and champion of affordable quality health care

MRS JEAN ALLISON (d. 20 January 2009)
Former accountant at the Rhodes Trust in the time of Warden Williams

MR PETER DURACK (Western Australia & Lincoln) (20 October 1926 - 13 July 2008)
Australian politician who served as Minister, Senator and Attorney General for Australia

PROFESSOR HARLAN CLEVELAND (Ohio & University 1938) (19 January 1918 - 30 May 2008)
Former president of the University of Hawaii and American ambassador to NATO

MR FRANK CRABILL (Nebraska & Lincoln 1936) (28 September 1913 - 16 February 2008)
Attorney and ardent sailor