Obituaries
Please alert us to the recent death of any other Rhodes Scholar by emailing communications@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk.
Clayton M. Christensen, a professor at Harvard Business School whose groundbreaking 1997 book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma,” outlined his theories about the impact of what he called “disruptive innovation”, died on Thursday at a hospital in Boston. He was 67.
Clayton studied Applied Econometrics at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar from 1975, graduated from Harvard Business School, and joined the Harvard Business School’s faculty in 1992. For many years he taught a course called “Building and Sustaining a Successful Enterprise.” He focused his theories on a wide range of industries, from education to health care. A former basketball star (he stood 6-foot-8) as well as an affable academic, he focused as much on a life well lived as he did on his management theories.
Andrew Savitz (Maryland & New College 1975) passed away on 29 January 2020. Andrew studied PPE as a Rhodes Scholar in 1975 and went on to Georgetown Law School. Andrew will be remembered for many things, not least of all his strength, wisdom, good humour, and ability to bring joy to those who knew him.
George Steiner, a literary polymath and man of letters whose voluminous criticism often dealt with the paradox of literature’s moral power and its impotence in the face of an event like the Holocaust, died at his home in Cambridge, England. He was 90.
After receiving his master’s degree from Harvard in 1950, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford. He received his doctorate in English literature in 1955.
That same year he married Zara Alice Shakow, who became a historian of international relations. In addition to his son, his wife survives him along with a daughter, Deborah Tarn, who is a philologist, and two grandchildren.
In 1952, Mr. Steiner joined the editorial staff of The Economist, where he remained until 1956. After obtaining his doctorate, he became a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, then was appointed Christian Gauss Lecturer at Princeton from 1959 to 1960. From Princeton he went to Cambridge University, where he remained for the rest of his life, first as a fellow of Churchill College (1961-1969), then as an Extraordinary Fellow. He was an honorary fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.
At various times he also taught or lectured at the University of Geneva, New York University and Harvard, where he was appointed the Charles Eliot Norton professor of poetry for 2001-2002.
Shaun Johnson was a true inspiration to many generations of Rhodes Scholars and had played such a pivotal role in establishing the Rhodes Trust's very first partnership organisation, The Mandela Rhodes Foundation. He served as the Founding Executive Director from 2003 until 2019. Shaun was an influential author and journalist, his own story intertwined with that of South Africa's transition to democracy and his great friendship with Nelson Mandela. His first novel The Native Commissioner won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book in Africa. Shaun always had time for the Rhodes community - whether through formal roles such as serving as Chairman of the Rhodes Scholarships Southern Africa Advisory Committee or informally helping countless Scholars.
Shaun died of natural causes in the early hours of the morning at his home in Cape Town, at the age of 60. He leaves behind his wife Stefania Johnson and daughter Luna Johnson. The Mandela Rhodes Foundation’s CEO Judy Sikuza, who worked closely with Shaun, said: “What Shaun has built in the name of Madiba and for the benefit of the African people will reverberate through the ages. But beyond that, it was his generosity of spirit, humanity and genuine faith in creating a better world through our Scholars that will remain in our hearts. Thank you for your love and belief in us as Mandela Rhodes Scholars, and specifically for your personal guidance and mentorship to me during the many years we worked together. Hamba kahle my brother. May your soul rest in peace.” Written tributes to Shaun can be sent directly to Julia@mrf.org.za.
Kenneth Keniston was born in Chicago. He enrolled in Harvard College, and later earned a Rhodes Scholarship to complete his D. Phil in social studies from Balliol College. Keniston taught at Harvard University and Yale University before joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty in 1977, where he served as the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Human Development. Keniston and his wife Suzanne Berger both received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1979.
David Michael Heilbron was a native of San Francisco and a graduate of Lowell High School, UC Berkeley (in English), Oxford University (in law, as a Rhodes Scholar), and Harvard Law School. He received all his degrees with first class honors. David made his legal career in the San Francisco firm of McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen, of which he became the managing partner in 1985. He appeared often in the US Court of Appeals and once in the Supreme Court of the US, and shared his expertise in appellate procedures in courses he gave at UC's Boalt Hall School of Law.
Jim Gunton passed away in his home February 16, 2020. Jim retired in 2018 as Lehigh University’s “Joseph A. Waldschmitt Emeritus” Professor of Physics, having earlier served as the University’s Dean of Arts and Sciences. Jim began his career at Linfield College in 1954. He was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and attended Merton College at Oxford, where he developed a love for physics. He was a Fulbright Scholar, Danforth Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Fellow (honorary) and subsequently received in 1967 a PhD from Stanford University. Professor Gunton was a statistical physicist with research interests in the field of pattern formation in non-linear, non-equilibrium systems. He served on the faculty at Temple University and also visiting professor (including Kyoto University and the University of Geneva). Jim was also provost at Kenyon University.
Heyward Dotson, who went on to experience Hall of Fame hoops careers at both Stuyvesant HS and Columbia University before becoming the Island’s first Rhodes Scholar, died on Friday 1 May 2020.
Following graduation from Columbia, Dotson was drafted by both the NBA (Phoenix Suns) and ABA (Indiana Pacers) in 1970, but he declined to join either franchises after becoming the first Islander to earn a Rhodes Scholarship.
He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1972, leading it to the All-England basketball championship in the process.
In addition to being voted into Columbia’s Athletics Hall of Fame two years ago, other accolades included being named the Advance’s History Award winner (1996); becoming the first African-American voted into the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame (1976) and being elected into the Harlem Sports Hall of Fame.
Dennis Ronald Bouwer was awarded a bursary to study towards a BSc degree at Rhodes University. Whilst at Rhodes he represented Eastern Province at rugby. He was then awarded the Rhodes Scholarship to further his studies at Oxford University.
After he completed his studies at Oxford University, he was awarded the Rockefeller Bursary to Harvard University in the USA, where he graduated with an MBA and entered the business world. He later became President of the Los Angeles Financial Chartered Analysts.