Sir Walter Hamilton Moberly (20 October 1881 – 31 January 1974) was a British academic.

Life

The son of the Rev.

Robert Campbell Moberly Robert Campbell Moberly (26 July 1845 – 8 June 1903) was an English theologian and the first principal of St Stephen's House, Oxford (1876–1878). Life He was the son of George Moberly, Bishop of Salisbury, and faithfully maintained the tradit ...

and the grandson of

George Moberly George Moberly (10 October 1803 – 6 July 1885) was an English cleric who was headmaster of Winchester College, and then served as Bishop of Salisbury from 1869 until his death. Life He was born in St Petersburg, Russia in 1803, the seventh s ...

, he was educated at

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

. Moberly was later a lecturer in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

from 1905 to 1906. He was a fellow of

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 1904 to 1907. While Fellow and Lecturer in philosophy at

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, situated on Turl Street in central Oxford. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, the ...

he contributed essays on "The Atonement" and "God and the Absolute" to the symposium ''Foundations: A Statement of Christian Belief in Terms of Modern Thought'', published in 1912. He served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

with the

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...

, being twice

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

. After the war, he was professor of

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

at the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

from 1921 to 1924, Principal of the

University College of the South West of England The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

from 1925 to 1926, Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...

from 1926 to 1934, Chairman of the University Grants Committee from 1935 to 1949 and Principal of St Catherine's Foundation from 1949 to 1955. Moberly was also an author, having written such books as ''The Crisis in the University'' (London: SCM Press)A statement of the views expressed in a series of "University pamphlets" published by the S.C.M. Press, and at a conference of university teachers convened by the Student Christian Movement and the Christian Frontier Council and ''The Ethics of Punishment'' (London: Faber, 1968 ). He was a great-uncle of the theologian

R. W. L. Moberly R. Walter L. Moberly (; born 26 March 1952) is an English theologian and professor of theology and biblical interpretation at Durham University. He was awarded an M.A. at Oxford and both an M.A., Ph.D. Cambridge, UK. He is also an ordained pries ...

Legacy

Winchester College's main library is named after him; Moberly Tower, a hall of residence at the Victoria University of Manchester was named after him. It was part of the refectory complex built in the 1960s; the tower was demolished ca. 2008. The Walter Moberly Building is also named after him at Keele University. It was built in 1954 and originally named the Conference Hall; it was renamed the Walter Moberly Hall in May 1960. This recognised Moberly's contribution to the creation of the experimental University College of North Staffordshire (the "Keele Experiment"), which received the Royal Charter as the University of Keele in 1962. A house in the former Duryard Hall of Residence at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

was also named after him, but has since been demolished.

References

Footnotes

External links

* 1881 births 1974 deaths People educated at Winchester College Knights Bachelor Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry officers Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British Army personnel of World War I Alumni of New College, Oxford Academics of the University of Aberdeen Vice-Chancellors of the Victoria University of Manchester Academics of the University of Birmingham Principals of the University College of the South West of England Fellows of Merton College, Oxford {{England-academic-administrator-stub