Sir Thomas Richard Edmund Southwood GOM DL FRS (20 June 1931 – 26 October 2005) was a British biologist, Professor of

Zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, an ...

and Vice-Chancellor of 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 ...

. A specialist on

entomology Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as ara ...

, he developed the field of insect ecology and the development of study techniques. He wrote a landmark textbook on ''Ecological Methods'' that went into numerous editions. He also was well known for developing the field of entomology through mentorship of a circle of researchers at Silwood Park.

Biography

Southwood was born in Marlborough Cottage in

Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It is located immediately west of Gravesend, and on the border with the Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the North Kent Line, just east of Ebbsf ...

near Gravesend where his father's family dealt in farm and dairy products. In 1935 the family moved to Parrock Manor. His parents encouraged his interest in natural history. Richard became interested in natural history at an early age, and developed his skills on the family dairy farm in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

; he had his first research article on sunbathing in birds in '' British Birds'' when he was fifteen and about insects published in the ''

Entomologist's Monthly Magazine ''Entomologist's Monthly Magazine'' is a British entomological journal, founded by a staff of five editors – T. Blackburn, H. G. Knaggs, M.D., R. McLachlan, F.L.S., E. C. Rye and H. T. Stainton – and first published in 1864.Wale, Matth ...

'' when he was a year older. His father had received some education at the Wye College. Other early influences included Tom Longstaff. He was educated at Bronte School, Gravesend Grammar School and

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

BSc in biology, MSc botany, then worked for his PhD degree in zoology studies at

Rothamsted Experimental Station Rothamsted Research, previously known as the Rothamsted Experimental Station and then the Institute of Arable Crops Research, is one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world, having been founded in 1843. It is located at Har ...

. He returned to

Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

as a Research Assistant and lecturer, and in 1967 became Head of the Department of Zoology and Applied Entomology, and Director of Imperial College's Field Station at

Silwood Park Silwood Park is the rural campus of Imperial College London, England. It is situated near the village of Sunninghill, near Ascot in Berkshire. Since 1986, there have been major developments on the site with four new college buildings. Adjacent ...

. He later became Dean of Science and

Chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vari ...

of the Division of Life Sciences. Southwood's research at Imperial concentrated on insect communities and population dynamics. His 1966 book ''Ecological Methods'' described techniques available for the study of populations and ecosystems, including population estimates with different sampling techniques. In 1979, he took up the

Linacre Chair of Zoology The position of Linacre Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford was founded in 1860, initially as the Linacre Professorship of Physiology and then as the chair of Human and Comparative Anatomy, although its origins can be traced back a fur ...

in the University of Oxford, and was elected 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 ...

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ...

. In 1989, he moved from being Head of the Department of Zoology to take up the Vice-Chancellorship of the university, from which position he set up a working party that would recommend the reform of the university's governance. Having stepped down from that position in 1993, he continued to research, teach and write, and in 2003 published ''The Story of Life'', a book based on the first-year undergraduate lectures he gave at Oxford. Southwood served as Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution from 1981 to 1985, having been first appointed to the Commission in 1974. Under his chairmanship, the 1983 report ''Lead in the Environment'' aroused public concern about lead pollution. He was Chairman of the National Radiological Protection Board from 1985 until 1994, and also chaired the Working Party on

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, is an incurable and invariably fatal neurodegenerative disease of cattle. Symptoms include abnormal behavior, trouble walking, and weight loss. Later in the course of t ...

(BSE) set up by the British Government in 1988. In 1993–1994 he was the first head of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy at the

Central European University Central European University (CEU) is a private research university accredited in Austria, Hungary, and the United States, with campuses in Vienna and Budapest. The university is known for its highly intensive programs in the social science ...

in Budapest. Southwood was also a contributing member of the Oxford Round Table, an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of contemporary issues. A portrait of Sir Richard Southwood hangs at

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ...

Family

Sir Richard Southwood married, in 1955, Alison Langley (''née'' Harden) who he met at Rothamsted; Sir Richard and Lady Southwood had two sons and six grandchildren.

Honours

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

(1984) *

Grand Officer of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

(April 27, 1993) *

British Naturalists' Association The British Naturalists' Association (BNA), founded in 1905 by E. Kay Robinson as the British Empire Naturalists' Association (BENA), is an organization in the United Kingdom to promote the study of natural history. It publishes a journal called ...

Peter Scott Memorial Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southwood, Richard 1931 births 2005 deaths People educated at Gravesend Grammar School Alumni of Imperial College London Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Linacre Professors of Zoology Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Linnean Society of London Fellows of the Zoological Society of London Fellows of the Royal Entomological Society Members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences 20th-century British zoologists Vice-Chancellors of the University of Oxford Knights Bachelor Deaths from cancer in England Deans of the Royal College of Science