John Steven Watson

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(20 March 1916 – 12 June 1986) was an English historian who served as

Principal of the University of St Andrews The Principal of the University of St Andrews is the chief executive and chief academic of the University. The Principal is responsible for the overall running of the university, presiding over the main academic body of the university, known as the ...

from 1966–86.

Life

He was born on 20 March 1916 the son of George Watson and his wife, Elizabeth Layborn Gall. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, then studied History at St John's College, Oxford where he graduated MA in 1939. He was a Harmsworth Senior Scholar at

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

, from 1939 to 1942. After serving at the Ministry of Fuel and Power during the Second World War he returned to Oxford as a postgraduate student and tutor at Christ Church, Oxford, Christ Church, where he then established an international reputation as an historian of the eighteenth century. This led to him being asked to contribute the volume on The Reign of George III for the Oxford History of England following the death of Richard Pares. In 1966 he became Principal (academia), principal of St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland and served this role successfully for 20 years. In 1968 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Anthony Elliot Ritchie, Norman Davidson (biochemist), Norman Davidson, Robert Schlapp and Neil Campbell, Lord Balerno. DePauw University awarded him an honorary doctorate (DLitt) in 1967. In 1972 he received a further honorary doctorate in Humane Letters (DHum) from St Andrews. He announced that he planned to retire in September 1986 but died in June of that year during a visit to London.

Family

In 1942 he married Heba Sylvia de Cordova Newbery. They had two sons: John Philip and Paul Michael.

Publications

*''The Oxford History of England'' (1960) *''The Reign of George III'' (1960) *''A History of the Salters Company'' (1963)

Artistic Recognition

His portrait by David Donaldson (artist), David Donaldson is held by St Andrews University.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, John. Steven 1916 births 1986 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People from Hebburn Principals of the University of St Andrews People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood Alumni of St John's College, Oxford Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Fellows of Christ Church, Oxford English civil servants 20th-century English historians Alumni of Merton College, Oxford