Obituaries
Please alert us to the recent death of any other Rhodes Scholar by emailing communications@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Ed Biden.
Born in 1956 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Edmund was educated at Fredericton High School before studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Brunswick, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in 1978. Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship from the Maritimes region in 1978, he went on to Hertford College, Oxford, completing a DPhil in Engineering Science. During his time at Oxford, he formed enduring friendships and maintained a lifelong connection with the Rhodes community.
Following his studies, Edmund and his wife Bernadette moved to California, where he managed the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Children’s Hospital San Diego. In 1987 he returned to the University of New Brunswick, where he spent the remainder of his distinguished career. He served as Director of Biomedical Engineering, Chair of Mechanical Engineering, and Dean of Graduate Studies, and was widely respected as a teacher, mentor, and scholar. His commitment to higher education was recognised with the University of New Brunswick President’s Medal for Teaching in 2016, and upon his retirement in 2020 he and Bernadette were honoured through the creation of a scholarship in their names. He was named Professor Emeritus in 2022.
Beyond the university, Edmund devoted decades of service to Scouts Canada and to his church community, embodying a spirit of generosity, leadership, and practical service. He was known for his enthusiasm for the outdoors, woodworking, baking, and for the thoughtful letters and stories he shared with family. His warmth, mentorship, and dedication to education and community will be remembered by all who knew him.
Read full obituary here.
We were saddened to learn of the death of John Fleming, who passed away at the age of 90.
Born in 1936 and raised in the Ozarks of Arkansas, he was educated at Mount Pleasant High School and the University of the South, where he earned a BA in 1958. Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford, he read English, taking a second-class degree in 1960, and remained for research toward a B.Litt.
After Oxford, John held a Harper Fellowship at Princeton University before teaching at the University of Wisconsin. He joined the Princeton faculty in 1965 and spent four decades there, becoming the Louis W. Fairchild Professor of English and Comparative Literature and serving as Master of Wilson College. A gifted teacher and scholar, he helped shape Princeton’s interdisciplinary Program in Medieval Studies and was widely admired for his celebrated lectures on Chaucer and medieval literature. His contributions were recognised through numerous teaching and humanities awards, as well as an honorary degree from Princeton University.
John was an internationally respected medievalist whose scholarship ranged across medieval English and European literature, art history, and Christian thought. Among his notable works were Le Roman de la Rose: A Study in Allegory and Iconography (1969), From Bonaventure to Bellini: An Essay in Franciscan Exegesis (1982), and Classical Imitation and Interpretation in Chaucer’s Troilus (1990). He also served as president of the Medieval Academy of America and was elected to both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, leaving a lasting legacy as a scholar, teacher, and mentor.
Read full obituary here.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jessie-Eloise Hislop.
Born in Edmonton in 1958, Jessie was educated at Strathcona Composite High School before studying at the University of Alberta, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1979 and received the Governor General's Academic Gold Medal. A Rhodes Scholar selected from the Prairies, she went on to Hertford College, Oxford, where she pursued graduate studies in international relations and read for a DPhil at Oxford University.
Jessie devoted her professional life to public service as a Canadian diplomat and trade commissioner. Over a distinguished career, she promoted Canadian goods and services abroad while carrying out consular responsibilities in postings that included Ottawa, Oslo, Milan, and London. Her work reflected both her intellectual gifts and her commitment to representing Canada on the international stage.
A lifelong learner, Jess never lost her enthusiasm for ideas, lectures, and public discourse, whether as a speaker or an attentive member of the audience. In retirement she made her home in Calgary, where she remained engaged with the world around her. She will be remembered for her keen intellect, dedication to public service, and enduring curiosity.
Read full obituary here.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of François Pieter Retief, aged 93.
Born in 1932 in Nkhoma, Nyasaland (now Malawi), François attended Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch before studying medicine at the University of Cape Town, graduating in 1955. He subsequently came to the University of Oxford, where he obtained a DPhil in Clinical Medicine in 1959. He later earned an MD from Stellenbosch University in 1965 and undertook specialist research in haematology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
François began his medical career as a physician before joining Stellenbosch University, where he became Professor of Medicine and Head of the Department of Haematology. In 1970, he was appointed founding Professor of Internal Medicine and founding Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the Orange Free State, where he established thirteen departments and pioneered an integrated medical curriculum. He went on to serve as founding Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the Medical University of South Africa from 1979 to 1982, followed by an appointment as Director-General of South Africa's Department of National Health and Population Development. Returning to the University of the Orange Free State as Rector and Vice-Chancellor in 1989, he led the institution until 1997, overseeing significant reforms that promoted greater inclusivity and multiculturalism during South Africa's transition.
Throughout his distinguished career, François made lasting contributions to medicine, medical education and university leadership. He served as Chairman of the South African Medical Research Council from 1991 to 1994 and held several prominent academic advisory positions. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, he was widely respected for his commitment to academic excellence and institutional development. His legacy endures through the generations of medical professionals he helped educate and the institutions he helped shape.
Read full obituary here.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dr Thomas David Gelehrter, an eminent physician-scientist, educator, and leader in human genetics whose career transformed the field over more than five decades.
Born in 1936 in Reichenberg, Czechoslovakia, Thomas emigrated to the United States with his family in 1939 after the Nazi occupation of Europe. He was educated at Shaker Heights High School and Oberlin College, where he earned his AB in 1957, before coming to Wadham College as a Rhodes Scholar. At Oxford he studied physiology, graduating in 1959, and represented Oxford in basketball against Cambridge in 1958. He subsequently received his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1963.
Following medical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and research appointments at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Washington, Thomas joined the faculty of Yale University School of Medicine in 1970 before moving to the University of Michigan in 1974. There he became Professor of Human Genetics and Internal Medicine, Director of the Division of Medical Genetics, and later Chair of the Department of Human Genetics. An internationally respected geneticist, he made pioneering contributions to the understanding of gene regulation and fibrinolysis, including foundational work on plasminogen activator inhibitor biology. His research was supported continuously for more than three decades by the National Institutes of Health and earned numerous distinctions, including a MERIT Award from the National Cancer Institute.
Thomas was equally celebrated as a teacher and mentor. He helped shape generations of medical students and researchers through his clarity, generosity, and intellectual leadership, and co-authored the influential textbook Principles of Medical Genetics, widely adopted internationally and translated into several languages. As Chair of Human Genetics at Michigan from 1987 to 2004, he guided the department through a period of major expansion and scientific distinction during the era of the Human Genome Project. Remembered for his humanity, humour, and devotion to patients and colleagues alike, Thomas leaves a lasting legacy in medicine, genetics, and medical education.
Read full obituary here.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Robert Ashman at the age of 87.
Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1938, Bob first distinguished himself in the study of zoology and animal physiology at Wabash College and the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar before turning to medicine and earning his MD from Columbia University in 1966. His early career included training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, and research in London as a Helen Hay Whitney Fellow at the National Institute for Medical Research.
After joining the University of California, Los Angeles, Bob rose to associate professor in medicine, microbiology, and immunology before being recruited to the University of Iowa in 1980 to found its first Division of Rheumatology. Under his leadership, the division rapidly expanded in clinical care, research, and training, including the establishment of a Clinical Arthritis Research Center funded by the National Arthritis Foundation. His own pioneering research in B cell activation and antigen receptors earned national recognition, including membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation and designation as a Master of the American College of Rheumatology in 2004. Continuously supported by National Institutes of Health funding throughout his career, Bob remained an active investigator until 2009.
Bob’s influence extended far beyond his scientific accomplishments. He built a collaborative and intellectually vibrant environment that trained generations of rheumatologists, many of whom went on to become leaders in the field. Under his stewardship, Iowa earned national recognition for excellence in rheumatology care and research. He will be remembered as an exceptional physician-scientist, mentor, and teacher whose legacy endures through the countless colleagues, trainees, and patients whose lives he touched.
Read full obituary here.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Bob March.
Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Bob spent his early years across several small communities in the province. He attended Dalhousie University, where he studied physics and graduated with the Governor General’s Medal, later completing his master’s degree before being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford. In 1965, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy at Oxford and returned to Halifax to begin a long and impactful academic career at Dalhousie.
Bob joined Dalhousie University as a professor of physics and went on to serve as Head of the Physics Department, contributing significantly to teaching and research over many decades. His time at Oxford was also personally meaningful, as it was in this period that he married his wife, with whom he built a life centred on family. Summers were often spent at a beloved cottage in Petite Rivière, where he enjoyed sailing, windsurfing, and time with loved ones, creating lasting memories grounded in companionship and the outdoors.
After retiring in 2004, Bob remained active, dividing his time between Crescent Beach and Halifax, where he continued his association with Dalhousie as a casual professor. He also assisted in running a seasonal antique shop and cherished regular gatherings with friends. His travels included many extended visits to Adelaide, Australia, reflecting both his curiosity and zest for life. A distinguished Rhodes Scholar and physicist whose life was marked by intellectual excellence and deep commitment to family and community, Bob will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and the quiet impact he had on colleagues, students, and all who knew him.
Read full obituary here.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Derek Hum.
Born in 1944 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Derek spent part of his early childhood in China before growing up in Campbellton, New Brunswick. He attended Mount Allison University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Mathematics in 1967. Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1967, he went on to Exeter College, Oxford, completing a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1969.
Following his time at Oxford, Derek pursued doctoral studies at the University of Toronto, completing his PhD in 1972. He built a distinguished academic career as a professor of Economics at the University of Manitoba, where he became a leading authority on social policy, labour market issues affecting immigrants, and guaranteed annual income programs, including the landmark Manitoba Mincome experiment. Over the course of his career, Derek authored seven books and more than 100 articles and essays, and was recognized with the Rh Institute Award for outstanding contributions to scholarship in the social sciences.
Derek was also widely admired for his warmth, wit, and gift for storytelling. A skilled public speaker, he was a familiar and beloved presence as emcee at community events, including Chinese New Year banquets and the Chinese Pavilion at Winnipeg’s Folklorama. He is remembered for his enduring contributions to academic life and his commitment to his community.
Read full obituary here.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Robert Davis McCallum.
A distinguished American lawyer and public servant, he was born in 1945 and educated at the Choate School. Robert went to Yale University for his undergraduate education, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and combined academic distinction with notable athletic achievement.
As a Rhodes Scholar, Robert went up to Christ Church, Oxford, where he read Jurisprudence and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts with First Class honours in 1971. He later returned to Yale to complete his Juris Doctor, setting the foundation for a formidable legal career.
Robert spent nearly three decades as a partner at Alston & Bird in Atlanta, specialising in appellate advocacy and commercial litigation, and earning a reputation for intellectual rigour, tenacity, and generosity as a mentor. In 2001, he entered public service as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, later serving as Associate Attorney General and Acting Deputy Attorney General. In 2006, he was appointed United States Ambassador to Australia, where he strengthened bilateral ties across diplomatic, military, and economic spheres.
Throughout his life, Robert remained committed to education, civic engagement, and sport, contributing to numerous boards and community initiatives while sustaining a lifelong passion for tennis and athletics. He approached his achievements with characteristic humility, valuing above all his family life and enduring partnerships, and he will be missed dearly by all who knew him.
Read full obituary here.