Sir Graham Balfour (2 December 1858 – 26 October 1929) was a noted

educationalist Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

, author and son of Surgeon General Thomas Graham Balfour. He lived near his cousin,

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

during the final years of Stevenson's life, and went on to write a biography of him. After writing a few books, he spent time on education administration, including managing the education system of Staffordshire.

Biography

Balfour was born in

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

on 2 December 1858 and christened as Thomas Graham Balfour, only son of his parents. His father, also Thomas Graham Balfour, was a

Surgeon-General (United Kingdom) The Surgeon-General of the United Kingdom Armed Forces is the most senior uniformed medical officer in the British Armed Forces. Army The post of Surgeon-General dates from 1664; there was also, from 1685, a Physician-General appointed; together, ...

and his mother was Georgina Prentice of Armagh. Despite suffering ill health, Balfour attended Marlborough College and later, Worcester College, Oxford and in 1880 gained a degrees in

Classical Moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ' ...

and in 1882 literae humaniores. He was also won awards for his rifle shooting. He became an

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

barrister in 1885. From May 1885 he resided with and tutored

Frank Russell, 2nd Earl Russell John Francis Stanley Russell, 2nd Earl Russell, known as Frank Russell (12 August 18653 March 1931), was a British nobleman, barrister and politician, the elder brother of the philosopher Bertrand Russell, and the grandson of John Russell, 1st ...

, after Russell's sending down from Oxford, accompanying him on a six-month tour of the US between Oct 1885 and May 1886. By 1891, after his parents had died, he moved to Vailima,

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

, to live near his cousin

. Stevenson died in 1894, so Balfour returned to England. He married Rhoda Brooke, daughter of Leonard Dobbin Brooke of Birkenhead in 1896 and the couple had two sons, one of whom was Michael Balfour. During the early 1900s, he was general director of education for Staffordshire while the entire education system was being remodelled at central government. The system he put in place was used as an example for to the rest of the country. He was knighted in 1917, and served in a few government posts encouraging education. Balfour died on 26 October 1929.

Publications

Balfour contributed a chapter in Charles Booth's

Life and Labour of the People in London ''Life and Labour of the People in London'' was a multi-volume book by Charles Booth which provided a survey of the lives and occupations of the working class of late 19th century London. The first edition was published in two volumes as ''Life ...

regarding life in Battersea 1891–1903. His 1898 publication ''Educational Systems of Great Britain and Ireland'' became a "standard work in its field".

Bibliography

* * * *

Legacy

Sir Graham Balfour School, Stafford and Sir Graham Balfour School, Cambodia are named after Balfour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balfour, Graham 1858 births 1929 deaths British educational theorists

Graham Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

Knights Bachelor