Keith Gilbert Robbins (9 April 1940 – 12 September 2019) was a British historian and Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest Academic degree, degree awarding institution in Wale ...
.
Professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
Robbins was educated at
Bristol Grammar School
Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a 4–18 mixed, independent day school in Bristol, England. It was founded in 1532 by Royal Charter for the teaching of 'good manners and literature', endowed by wealthy Bristol merchants Robert and Nicholas Thorn ...
, and
Magdalen and
St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in international relations, economic ...
.
His academic career began in 1963 as Assistant Lecturer in History at the
University of York
, mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £8.0 million
, budget = £403.6 million
, chancellor = Heather Melville
, vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery
, students ...
where he subsequently became
Lecturer
Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...
. He moved to the
University College of North Wales, Bangor
, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007)
, image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg
, image_size = 250px
, caption = Arms
...
, in 1971, as Professor of History and was later appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts. In 1980 he moved to the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
as Professor of Modern History.
His final academic post was as Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest Academic degree, degree awarding institution in Wale ...
, between 1992 until 2003, when he was succeeded by Professor
Robert A Pearce
Robert Alasdair Pearce (born 28 November 1951)'PEARCE, Prof. Robert Alasdair', Who's Who 2008, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 200accessed 10 Nov 2008/ref> is a British academic. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the Univ ...
. During his time as Vice-Chancellor at Lampeter, he also served as Senior Vice-Chancellor of the federal
University of Wales
The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff †...
between 1995 and 2001. He was also a Welsh Supernumerary Fellow of
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...
, for the academic years 1996/7 and 2002/3.
In 2005 the University of Wales awarded Robbins an
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
of
DLitt
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...
in recognition of his years of service to University of Wales institutions and the field of history.
He was President of the
Ecclesiastical History Society
The Ecclesiastical History Society (EHS) is a British learned historical society founded in 1961 to foster interest in, and to advance the study of, all areas of the history of the Christian Church through twice yearly conferences and publication ...
(1980–81). He was also a Founding Fellow of the
Learned Society of Wales
The Learned Society of Wales (Welsh: Cymdeithas Ddysgedig Cymru) is a learned society and charity that exists to "celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines", and to serve the Welsh nation ...
and a Member of its inaugural Council.
He died on 12 September 2019 at the age of 79.
Robbins
/ref>
Summary of life
Education
Bristol Grammar School, 1949-58:
State Scholarship 1957:
Demy of Magdalen College, Oxford, 1958-61:
Gladstone Memorial Prize 1960 (Oxford University)
Prox. acc. Gibbs Scholarship 1960 (Oxford University)
First Class (Congratulatory), Modern History, 1961
Senior Scholar, St. Antony's College, Oxford, 1961–63
Academic career
Assistant Lecturer/Lecturer, University of York
, mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £8.0 million
, budget = £403.6 million
, chancellor = Heather Melville
, vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery
, students ...
, 1963–71
Professor and Head of Department of History, University College of North Wales
, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007)
, image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg
, image_size = 250px
, caption = Arms
...
, Bangor (now Bangor University), 1971-1979: (Dean of the Arts Faculty, 1977–79)
Professor of Modern History, University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
, 1980-91 (Head of department, 1981–91)
Vice-Chancellor, University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest Academic degree, degree awarding institution in Wale ...
, January 1992- September 2003 (now part of the University of Wales Trinity St. David)
Senior Vice-Chancellor, (Federal) University of Wales
The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff †...
, 1 September 1995 – 31 August 2001 (a Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
-based post held concurrently with the above)
Inaugurating Chairman Cttee. of Heads of Higher Education, Wales 1996-1998
Chairman, Higher Education Wales Charitable Trust 1996-1998
Special Visiting professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top three ...
, Canada, July–August 1983
Visiting professor, University of Constantine, Algeria, February 1984
Fred Alexander Fellow, Department of History, University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...
, July–August 1995
Degrees
B.A. (1961); M.A. (1970); D.Phil. (1964) Oxford;
D.Litt. (1985) Glasgow.
Hon.D.Litt. (1999) West of England
Hon.D.Litt, (2005) Wales
Fellowships
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1991).
Hon. Fellow in European History, University of Nanjing, China (P.R.)
Hon. Fellow, University of Wales, Lampeter (2006)
Fellow of the Historical Association (2007).
Hon. Fellow, Bangor University (2010)
Founding Fellow, Learned Society of Wales (2010) Council (2010–17)
Professional bodies
Member of Council and a vice president, Historical Association, 1976-; President, Historical Association 1988-1991
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society 1970; Member of Council of the Royal Historical Society 1980–1983; a Vice-president 1984-1988
President of the Ecclesiastical History Society, 1980-1981
Former Member, Scottish Records Advisory Council
D.E.S. Postgraduate Awards Panel (History), 1974–1976; Chairman 1976
President, Welsh Religious History Society 1993-2000
Humanities Research Board, British Academy 1994–1997; Chairman of its Research Committee, 1995-1997
Board of Management, Arts and Humanities Research Board 1998-2003
Works
Editor
Editor, History (1977-1986)
Editorial Board, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 1978-1993
, Journal of Indian History 1985
Publications Committee, latterly chairman, Ecclesiastical History Society, 1978-1983
Publications Committee, Royal Historical Society, 1980-1985
, National Identities 1998-2008
Author
* ''Munich 1938'' (London, 1968)
* ''Sir Edward Grey: A Biography of Lord Grey of Fallodon'' (London, 1971)
*''The Abolition of War: The British Peace Movement, 1914 - 1919'' (Cardiff, 1976)
*''The Eclipse of a Great Power: Modern Britain, 1870-1975''Â (London, 1983). Second Edition, (London, 1994)
*''The First World War'' (Oxford, 1984)
*''Appeasement'' (Oxford, 1988)
*''Great Britain: Identities, Institutions and the Idea of Britishness'' (London, 1998)
*''Churchill (Profiles In Power)'' (London, 2000)
*''The World Since 1945: A Concise History'' (Oxford, 2002)
*''Britain and Europe, 1789-2005'' (London, 2005)
*''Oxford History of the Christian Church: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales 1900-2000'' (Oxford, 2008)
*''Transforming the World: A Global Political History since World War II'' (Basingstoke, 2013)
*''The History of Oxford University Press: Volume IV: 1970 to 2004'' (Oxford, 2017)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robbins, Keith
1940 births
2019 deaths
People educated at Bristol Grammar School
People associated with the University of Wales, Lampeter
Academics of the University of York
Academics of Bangor University
Academics of the University of Glasgow
Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford
Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford
Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales
Fellows of the Royal Historical Society
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Presidents of the Ecclesiastical History Society