Robert Walter Steel

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(31 July 1915 – 29 December 1997) was a British geographer, who was Professor of Geography at Liverpool University from 1957 to 1974 and Principal of the

University College of Swansea , former_names=University College of Swansea, University of Wales Swansea , motto= cy, Gweddw crefft heb ei dawn , mottoeng="Technical skill is bereft without culture" , established=1920 – University College of Swansea 1996 – University of Wa ...

from 1974 to 1982.

Life

He was born in

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, United Kingdom. Son of Rev Frederick Grabham and Winifred Barry (Harrison) Steel. He was the eldest of four children. Steel was educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School and the Cambridge and County High School for Boys. He then attended

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 ...

matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

in 1934, obtaining a first-class degree in 1937. He was a lecturer in Geography at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

from 1939 to 1956, serving in the Naval Intelligence Division of the Admiralty from 1940 to 1945. He was associated with two

Oxford colleges The University of Oxford has thirty-nine colleges, and five permanent private halls (PPHs) of religious foundation. Colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university. These colleges are not only houses of residen ...

: firstly at

St Peter's Hall St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is located in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. It occupies the site of two of the university's medieval halls, dating back to at least the 14th c ...

as a lecturer from 1951 to 1956 and then Jesus College as a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

from 1954 to 1956. He was then appointed John Rankin Professor of Geography at Liverpool University in 1957 and held this post until 1974. He thereafter became Principal of the

(1974–1982) and also served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales from 1979 to 1981. He was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College in 1982 and appointed

in 1983.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steel, Robert Walter 1915 births 1997 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Fellows of St Peter's College, Oxford Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford Academics of the University of Liverpool Academics of Swansea University British geographers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School Historians of geography 20th-century geographers