Sir John Tresidder Sheppard,

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

( – ) was an eminent classicist and the first non-

Etonian Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

to become the provost of

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the city ...

Early life

John Sheppard was educated at

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2–19 independent, day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a public school, it began as the College of God's Gift, founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, with the original purpose of ...

.Hodges, S, (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History of Dulwich College'', pages 88, (Heinemann: London) He went up to

, where he studied Classics and won the

Porson Prize The Porson Prize is an award for Greek verse composition at the University of Cambridge. It was founded in honor of classical scholar Richard Porson and was first awarded in 1817. Winners are known as "Porson prizemen". Winners of the Porson Priz ...

Career

He was a lecturer in classics at King's College of

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

from 1908 to 1933 and was provost from 1933 to 1954. During the Second World War he performed intelligence work, for which he was appointed

; he was knighted in 1950 for his services to Greek. During his long career he translated many famous Greek classics, and published several books on the subject, including ''The Pattern of the Iliad'', ''Greek Tragedy'', and ''Aeschylus & Sophocles: Their Work and Influence''.

Personal life

John Sheppard was openly homosexual. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in the 1950 King's Birthday Honours List.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheppard, John Tresidder 1881 births 1968 deaths 20th-century English male writers Alumni of King's College, Cambridge English classical scholars Knights Bachelor Members of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Dulwich College Provosts of King's College, Cambridge Presidents of the Cambridge Union British gay writers Gay academics