Aston University Archives

The Aston University Archives house materials related to the history of Aston University (1966–) and its forerunner institutions: the Birmingham Municipal Technical School (1895–1927), the Birmingham Central Technical College (1927–1951), the College of Technology Birmingham (1951–1956), and the College of Advanced Technology (1956–1966).

The collection includes institutional records, publications, photographs, and objects which shed light on education, politics, economics, society and culture in Birmingham and the Midlands. It also chronicles a variety of trades and professions, reflecting both local and global developments.

Additional materials include newspapers, brochures and records of the popular music acts which performed in the Great Hall, together with videos and slides of the campus as it has been built up - and knocked down - as well as campus maps through the decades.

The archives contain works of art as well as notable objects that reflect changing cultural and societal norms over the decades: for example, a silver platter presented to the Senior Common Room by the Academic Wives’ Club in 1967. Materials are continuously deposited and catalogued by members of the broader Aston community.

These include the records of the Aston Students' Union, such as their newspaper, The S.U.N. (later Birmingham SUN), student handbooks giving advice to new students of the University on topics such as banking, budgeting, and sexual health, as well as the papers of the Aston Music Society.

Other notable records include the papers of David H. Bramley (1913-2010), who founded the Department of Industrial Administration, which later became the prestigious Aston Business School, and of Aston alumna and Catholic scholar Dr Marie Rowlands (1932–2025).

For details please consult this summary description of holdings and preliminary inventory.

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A collection of student records (1893-1955) restored thanks to a grant from the National Manuscript Conservation Trust (2022).

(Figure 1)

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The façade of the Birmingham Municipal and Technical School building at the corner of Suffolk and Navigation streets near Birmingham New Street.

(Figure 2)

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Archivist James Platt (on the chair) surrounded by colleagues from the History programme including Dr Ilaria Scaglia, Head of Archives.

(Figure 3)

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History Single Honours Elizabeth Edwards and Emily Yardley. supporting the staging of the Aston@130 exhibition (2025) featuring materials from the AUA.

(Figure 4)

If you would like to consult any of these holdings, or if you have items that you think may be of interest to the Aston University Archives, please email us.

The Archives are located in Aston University’s Main Building, MB657, and are usually open Monday-Wednesday, 9:00am-5:00pm. Additional hours can be arranged. An appointment is essential to secure a table in the reading room and to ensure materials are ready for consultation.

For additional information about Aston University’s history and archives, you can watch the video above or listen to this Aston Originals podcast.

The archives are closely linked to the Aston University Archives Centre and to the History programme at Aston.

You can support the Aston University Archives by making a donation below:

Follow us on Twitter/X @AstonUnArchives and Bluesky@astonunarchives.bskyb.social

Research and Photographic Services

The AUA offers professional research and photographic services.

Please note that all prices listed below do not include VAT.

On the payment page, this tax will be automatically included and added to the total.

Photography daily pass: £3
*This charge is waived for Aston University students, staff, and Alumni.

This pass allows researchers to take pictures with their own device when visiting the AUA in person. Visitors need to sign a AUA Permission to Photograph form on site.

Digital copies: £5 handling fee + £1 per page
*50% discount for Aston University students, staff, and Alumni.

This rate applies to copies of professional quality taken by AUA staff. The size of the project needs to be agreed to in advance by the Archive team. Researchers remain responsible for permission and copyright clearance. Additional research fees may be added depending on the size and nature of the project.

Research Services: £30 for each 30-minute session

While preliminary research is offered free of charge, more extensive research services might be available. These however cannot be guaranteed and must be agreed to in writing by AUA staff.

Payments can be completed through this link.

Policies and Regulations

The Aston University Archives are closely linked to the History programme at Aston and its ongoing research projects.

• AUA Acceptance of Regulations Form
• AUA Handling Objects

A History of AUA

The History of AUA is inextricably linked with the establishment of the History programme in 2018. An Aston University Archives Committee was soon created, led by Dr Ilaria Scaglia (History) and including Dr Annette Rubery (Alumni Office), Professor Helen Higson (ABS), and William Peaden (Aston University Library). Colleagues from Records Management and other parts of the university were included in the common effort of identifying and preserving old records. With the help of the Porters and the Estates teams, the Committee identified archival material dating back to 1895, the year when Aston University’s predecessor institution, the Birmingham Municipal and Technical College, first opened on Suffolk Street, near Birmingham New Street railway station. Thanks to a grant from the National Manuscript Conservation Trust, these materials were soon conserved and made safe to handle. History student volunteers compiled the first draft of an inventory to make records available for use in History courses.

The arrival of Vice Chancellor Aleks Subic, a passionate advocate of the institution’s heritage, led to the first display of archival material in 2022. Its inauguration attracted numerous partners in the fields of archives, museums, and heritage in the area and also galvanised students and members of staff. Dr Brian Sudlow (History) led some “Collection Conservations” and Aston Originals podcasts related to the university’s archives. In 2024, Dr Ilaria Scaglia organised a public lecture revolving around a notable artefact, the Parker 51 pen that the late Queen Elizabeth II used when she inaugurated the Aston University Main Building in 1955. This was followed by another major event on 3 November 2025 to mark the 70th anniversary of the opening of this landmark building.

In the meantime, supported by Head of the College Professor Zoe Radnor, the Aston University Archives gained official status and support with the creation of the positions of Head of Archives (Dr Ilaria Scaglia) and University Archivist (James Platt), supported by Operations Manager Jen Knight. Radnor also advocated for the establishment of an interdisciplinary Aston University Archives Centre (AUAC) to encourage research on the institution’s history and on the problem of archiving in the 21st Century.

Chief Operating Officer Richard Billingham secured suitable space for a Reading Room in Aston University’s Main Building, room 657 and supported the restoration of a set of precious bronze doors retrieved by the AUA team. The Head of the School of Law and Social Sciences (LSS), Professor Martin George, awarded a Fusion Grant that allowed for the acquisition of much-needed conservation and packing supplies and also the establishment of a photographic studio. LSS has also sponsored a PhD Studentship on the institution’s long history of pioneering sexual health.

History and placement students, together with a growing number of volunteers, have supported research for a 130th anniversary exhibition and a commemorative book entitled Formed in Birmingham, published on the 60th Anniversary of Aston University’s Charter. The AUA routinely fulfils researchers’ requests, leads tours, and stages displays for numerous guests and occasions. Two Visiting Industrial Fellows, Dr Steven Gill and Chris Roberts, advise on manuscript photography and film preservation, respectively.

AUA has ongoing collaborations with the Student Union, the Alumni Office, and the Legal and Marketing teams. It also maintains a steady collaboration with the Transport programme, with which it co-organised a series of Railway 200 events and through which it manages a volunteer project on the history of women at Aston and their involvement in engineering.

Under the leadership of interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Mike Caine, AUA is becoming increasingly involved in supporting celebrations for the 60th Anniversary. The upcoming Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Grant, has already praised Aston University as an “incredible university with an exceptional heritage,” one that AUA is committed to preserving for generations to come. The Aston University Archives Centre encourages research on the institution’s history and on the problem of archiving in the 21st Century.

Preserving the Histories of a Community of Makers Exhibition (2022-23)

Thanks to funding from the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust, it has been possible to conserve a number of important historical documents in the archives. In November 2022, Aston Archives Committee unveiled an exhibition in the University's Main Building foyer, showcasing a selection of of these volumes along with contextual information about Aston University's predecessor institutions. In addition to a ribbon-cutting by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aleks Subic, talks were given by Dr Ilaria Scaglia and Professor Helen Higson, OBE, while Dr Brian Sudlow presented a film about the archives.

View some of the exhibition findings on the Birmingham Municipal Technical School: General Register for Session 1893-94 and Birmingham Municipal Technical School: General Register for Session 1920-21 pages.

Making History with Queen Elizabeth's Pen

On 26 June, 2024, the Aston University community and its friends in the fields of archives, heritage, and culture, gathered at John Cadbury House to celebrate a new exhibition of a remarkable item preserved at the Aston University Archives: the pen that the late Queen Elizabeth II used and gifted when she visited Birmingham to inaugurate the Main Building of what is today Aston University.

Dr Ilaria Scaglia, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at Aston University, researched the history of this object and of the day in which it was used and shared her findings at the event.

The Parker 51 pen

As the Birmingham Pen Museum testifies, there are countless histories that one could write starting from a pen. The first that comes to mind is related to technology, Aston University’s soul. Aston University officially started in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School on Suffolk Street. The institution changed name a few times but it stayed true to its origins. It was and still is a place for crafting new things to help people face a fast-changing world. The Parker 51 pen was an object of the kind Aston’s predecessors tried to devise. It was a marvel of craft, meant to provide emancipation from the quill in order to write a new future. As detailed in David and Mark Shepherd’s Parker 51 (2004), Quink, or fast drying ink, had been invented by a Filipino chemist and then introduced by the Parker company in 1931 to free all from the hassle of blotting. Yet Quink corroded the materials fountain pens were previously manufactured from, and new ones needed to be created as a result. Lucite (or PMMA) was patented in 1932 and later applied to anything from aircraft parts to train car windows. Eight different patents were filed to design what one might mistakenly think as ‘just a pen’. 23 components, 238 different operations to manufacture it, 43 of which by hand. There is indeed a story about design and craft to be told, one that is right up Aston’s alley.

There is also a business story, another Aston mark of distinction. The Parker 51 is still regarded as one of the most successful consumer products ever conceived. More than a quarter of a million dollars was invested in its development in 1939. More were made because of its ground-breaking marketing, starting from the number 51 – as 1939 was the 51st year of Parker’s existence. But neither of these histories would make sense without taking into account other external factors. No discipline can ignore the broader historical context in which it operates, and this is especially true for technology. The Parker 51 pen originated from the Great Depression, a time when few could afford luxury items. In hard times, many clung to the look and feel of precious, durable things while also daring to aspire to a more positive, modern future. The breakthrough came through an emotional appeal to their hopes and aspirations: an object designed to evoke fighter plane wings, ‘a pen from another planet’ as it was advertised then, to make the dreams of people on this earth seem within reach. It was a product of globalisation, produced by an American company, tested for all weather conditions in South America, later produced in Canada to be sold throughout the British Empire one of the main reasons for its unprecedented success.

This pen was a war child too. By the time it was premiered in 1941, materials such as brass, copper, and aluminium had become crucial to the war effort. Parker’s London premises at Bush House in Aldwych, were moved out to the west end of the city, to make room for defence activities in the centre. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the same machines designed to produce this artefact’s many parts were now used to make ammunitions. For this reason, the production of this pen was rationed. Marketing was shifted to non-selling in order to make a broader patriotic point ‘shell fuzes come first!’ At the same time, pens such as this became central to the war narrative: writing and receiving letters were essential for morale; people were encouraged to gift pens and to engage in written correspondence with soldiers.

After the German surrender was signed, indeed, with a Parker 51 pen, the end of the war led to resuming manufacturing, the multiplication of many parts and designs, and an overall transformation of the symbolic value of giving and receiving a pen. Once a token of affection for a son or a lover fighting far away, pens now turned into markers of economic rebirth, accessories for people of various classes and genders claiming a new place in society, and also as corporate gifts for growing industries in an increasingly industrialised world.

Ironically, 1955, the year when this particular pen was used, actually marked the Parker 51’s decline. The first Parker ballpoint pen was introduced in England that year, following other brands that had gradually entered the market since the 1940s. By the 1970s, the production of the legendary Parker 51 pen was interrupted though later replicas were introduced later and a niche fountain pen market remains.

Part of that aura derived from the fact that famous people ostensibly used them, most notably the Royal family. The Queen Mother wielded a Parker 51, as did young Princess Elizabeth. Queen Elisabeth would later give a Royal Warrant to Parker in 1962, and the then Prince Charles would do the same in 1992. Neither the late Queen nor the current King were ever exclusive users, but clearly they contributed to give Parker 51 its mystique. They often chose it as a token of their feelings, a symbol of their presence, and as a means to communicate something more.

Queen Elizabeth’s Parker 51 pen and her 1955 visit for the inauguration of the Main Building

The Court Circular for the 1955 visit details the royal itinerary for that day: first Bourneville, then King Edward’s School, the College of Technology what would later become Aston University) and, in the afternoon, All Saints Church in Shard End. This was the first visit of the young Queen to Birmingham since her coronation, the first engagement of the young couple there, one of the reasons why 10,000 people crowded Victoria Square to see them go by, and more lined the streets.

‘For one day the city did not seem as drab’, many would remark in retrospect. And drab it was indeed. Many parts had yet to be rebuilt after wartime bombings, rationing had just ended, and a broad spectrum of ongoing economic and social problems surrounded this piece of news. But there were also progress, machines, devices, and training for building a workforce capable of using them promised a better future.

A newsreel from  conveys the excitement of that day. British Pathé

To be sure, one might dismiss this whole episode as a few minutes of royal glitz, a distraction that deflected light away from reality for a day, way back in 1955. Yet, it is significant that in grim times people reached for something that was at once practical, tangible, and concrete, but also well-made, evocative, and optimistic. They did not fall into mere functionalism; instead, they combined practicality with symbolism to say something new, innovative, and ambitious. They understood that the Queen could elevate a pen, or a new building, into something higher, not for sale. They changed the meaning of what it meant to be ‘fit for a Queen’, seeing her as a young, global icon who might unite people in a fast-changing world and institution. It was a deliberate and defined strategic decision to grow by leveraging tradition, the past, what had been, to be forward looking.

Of course, many of those visions and promises never came to fruition quite in the way in which people had envisioned, no more than a pen or a letter alone ever sufficed to make a real difference in any person’s life. But symbols matter, as the ideals they represent often moved and still move people to action. Their being unnecessary, made the necessary possible. Their presence high up, made the direction clear. And for the College the direction was clear.

The following year, in 1956, the same institution would become a College of Advanced Technology. In 1963, the would establish that education ‘should be available to all qualified by ability and attainment’. Its purpose should be not only to impart skills but also to create ‘cultivated men and women’, and to promote ‘balance in research and teaching’ in order ‘to transmit a common culture and common standards of citizenship’. As a consequence of this report, Queen Elizabeth would give its charter to Aston University in 1966. This pen embodies the trajectory that led to that point and charted the course of the institution’s development to this day. Robbins Report

Queen Elizabeth’s pen, History, and the Aston University Archives

Queen Elizabeth’s Parker 51 pen was long cared for by Chief Executive of Aston University and Professor of Higher Education Learning and Management and Associate Dean of Aston Business School, Helen Higson. With the establishment of the in 2018 and its development into a full-fledged degree that emphasizes archival skills, new attention has been devoted to the history of the institution and to the archival materials and objects that document it. The History section also established and cares for the  and continuously organises events and displays related to the history of the institution, city, and region often placing them in a global context. History ProgrammeAston University Archives

Collection Conversations

A Tale of Register and Programme

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Collection Conversations #2: Alternative Futures: A 1964 Newspaper Article, College and Senate Minutes, and Decades, worth of Press Cuttings.
 

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Collection Conversations #3 of 1980s glossy magazines and brochures

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Collection Conversations #4 The 1895 Programme and Prize Day Speech

 

Stories from Aston University Archives

"Rosa Kathleen Spencer" by Anastasia Anthony (21 May 2025)

Early Life

Rosa Kathleen Spencer, who was also known as Kathleen, was born in Hampton-Lucy in Warwickshire in 1873. She was the sixth out of 7 children and had 4 brothers. Her family came from a generation of wealthy farmers, all based in the Warwickshire area. Her father Samuel was born in 1827 and continued the farming legacy. Her mother, Anna Bolton King, was born in 1831. During her upbringing, Rosa and her siblings all benefitted from a live-in governess (as per the 1881 census) to help boost their education. Eventually, one of her brothers and a sister moved to Australia, and another brother to New Zealand.

(Figure 1)

Birmingham Municipal Technical School

When Spencer came to BMTS in 1894-95, she decided to study advanced chemistry. She was already employed as a dispenser at the general hospital.

(Figure 2)

1899-1909

In 1899, Rosa became a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. This was a great honour and not one that many med had at the time either, and she was celebrated for it in her local paper, the Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald. The title (shortened to M.P.S) allowed her to expand her duties beyond basic dispensary work. She has the potential to kickstart her solo career as a pharmacist and had more autonomy than a dispenser. In the 1901 census, she listed herself as a Chemist and Druggist Manager and in later newspaper articles, discussed purchasing her own business. During this time, she was also an advocate for women in pharmacy, publishing in the popular newspaper Girls Own Paper in 1899 and later in 1903.

(Figure 3)

1909 

In 1909, Rosa conducted an interview with the popular newspaper; the Daily Express. She described how initially, ‘a woman chemist in High Wycombe was something of a novelty’, but thrived from the start. Spencer discussed making her own prescriptions, ointments and tinctures as well as actively conducting experiments to enhance her knowledge, which eventually, meant she grew to see her career as a hobby. The Daily Express memorialised her as ‘one of the most successful woman pharmacists in the country’, a testament to Spencer’s resilience and desire to pursue passion in the face of adversity. Her career did not come without obstacles and Rosa found herself writing in to the Daily Express again to defend women’s education and training. She refuted the claim that working women receive lower salaries, explaining that this would not last much longer due to an increasing access to training. She concluded that ‘women pharmacists are most anxious to co-operate rather than compete unfairly with men’.

(Figure 4 and 5)

Later Years

Throughout her career, Spencer trained young girls like herself in pharmacy thus; contributing to the movement which facilitated female employment. She had a remarkable career as a pioneering female pharmacist and served as an example of the successes which can be reaped from the vocational training the Birmingham Municipal Technical School provided. As far as census records go (1939), Spencer continued managing her business on 62 Eastern Street, High Wycombe, until her death on 18 January 1952. She never married nor had children and in her probate left behind £5805 3 shillings and 6 pence, suggesting she found a comfortable financial status in her work but most importantly, a career she enjoyed.

Citations

Probate

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 accessed via ancestry.com

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Inventing the Future: An Aston Archive Story

Useful Sources for Reading Cursive, by Denise Gomes

Using and Understanding Primary Sources

This is the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History guide on how to read cursive. They offer videos and links on cursive and even have quizzes so you can test knowledge.

How to Read Cursive Writing (in just a few minutes) – A very beginner guide on how to read cursive; it might be really helpful to those who have never read or written in cursive.

English Handwriting 1500-1700: An Online Course – A Cambridge resource that gives online course lessons with quizzes; advanced and very useful.

[ARCHIVED CONTENT] The National Archives | Palaeography tutorial (how to read old handwriting) -This training, devised by the National Archives, gradually increases in difficulty. It includes full transcriptions, glossaries, and script analysis, making it a rather comprehensive course in reading historical manuscript cursive.

How to Read Medieval Handwriting (Palaeography) | Harvard's Geoffrey Chaucer Website This is a brief overview, particularly helpful for beginners.

Palaeography - Archival Skills - Library at University of Hull – Gives a broad introduction, covering hand writing styles 1500-1800.

How to Read Historical Documents- Palaeography of the Conisbrough Court Rolls - Session 1 – Detailed YouTube sessions on how to read Palaeography

How to Decipher Unfamiliar Handwriting

This source is more like a handbook than an interactive tutorial. It offers specific examples that many might find helpful.

In Memoriam

A Remembrance Garden commemorates late members of the Aston University community. Selected obituaries can be found below

Colin Gilmore

We have been informed of the death of Colin Gilmore who was a lecturer in Accounting at Aston Business School from 1976 to 1999. He was a very much-admired lecturer and a very supportive Programme Director for the BSc International Business and Modern Languages for many years. He was also an excellent cook and a friend to many.

Colin went to school at Wolverhampton Grammar School and then studied at Exeter College, Oxford.

After retirement he moved to Gunnislake in Cornwall, where he spent a very contented 15 years with his second wife Kathy. He reached the age of 86 in October but also became very frail with kidney and mobility problems. He passed away a few days ago after a long spell in the hospital.

Dr Shelia Handley

It is with sadness that I recently learnt of the death of Dr Sheila Handley, a senior lecturer in pharmacology at the time of her retirement from Aston around 20 years ago.

Sheila did a pharmacy degree at the School of Pharmacy in London, where amongst others, she was taught by Mike Brown, who was later her Head of Department at Aston. She did have some stories of those days to share... Sheila followed a career in research, specialising in behavioural pharmacology and for many years ploughed a lone furrow at Aston as a neuropharmacologist. She began her research at Allen and Hanbury’s neuropharmacology research group working under Paul Spencer and when he came to Aston in 1966 as head of Pharmacology, he recruited Sheila as a junior lecturer.

Sheila was much respected in her field, being particularly interested in how metabolites of tryptyophan and imadazoline influenced behaviour. For many years she kept the discipline of neuropharmacology alive at Aston until new appointments in the 1990s. I suspect that today she would have been awarded a chair; she had in excess of 100 publications. None-the-less, Sheila did not shrink her duty and was acting head of pharmacology from the retirement of Professor Brian Ferry to the appointment of Professor Ian Martin.

Sheila showed me much kindness when I arrived at Aston and gave me my first experience of examining a PhD. She also provided sound advice. She enjoyed the banter of the lab, giving as good as she got and was loyal to her colleagues. I remember particularly her delight when a member of staff in another school, assuming she was male, accused her of sexism; the individual was never quite the same again... Outside of work her passion was her horse; she was an accomplished rider. I remember her fondly. David Poyner (with thanks to Professor Keith Wilson for help with this tribute).

Professor Rod Latham

November 16, 1936–2025
A Pioneer of High-Voltage Vacuum Insulation

Professor Rod Latham, one of the most respected and enduring figures in the field of high-voltage vacuum insulation, passed away in early 2025 at the age of 88. His scientific career spanned more than six decades, during which he became a foundational voice in understanding vacuum breakdown phenomena and electron emission processes.

Rod Latham began his academic journey under challenging circumstances in post-war Britain. His path into science was nottraditional; yet, through persistence and intellectual independence, he rose to become a leading contributor to vacuum insulation theory and practice. After earning his PhD from Queen Mary College, University of London, and later a DSc for his contributions to surface science, Latham established himself asa central figure in the study of field emission and the causes of vacuum breakdown.

His book, High Voltage Vacuum Insulation: Basic Concepts and Technological Practice, published in 1995, became a valuable reference for engineers and scientists working in high-gradient vacuum systems. His work not only clarified key mechanisms behind pre-breakdown current, but also challenges prevailing assumptions, favouring a diagnostic and   materials-driven approach over purely theoretical models. Latham’s research prompted a broader re-evaluation of the role of particulate contamination and electrode surface condition in limiting vacuum insulation performance.

Throughout his career, Latham was recognized for both his technical excellence and his scientific integrity. He received the Whitehead Memorial Lecture Award in 1988 and the Dyke Award in 2010 (Figure 7)—honours that reflect a body of work both rigorous and forward thinking. But, he was equally known for his character: a quiet resolve, a resistance to dogma, and a belief that science should remain an open, evolving conversation.

Even in the final months of his life, Latham remained intellectually active, engaged in correspondence and discussion about emerging challenges in high-voltage engineering. His  curiosity remained undimmed, and his contributions continued to inspire peers and younger generations alike.  Rod Latham’s legacy is imprinted not only in the literature of electrical insulation but in the spirit of scientific inquiry he embodied—one rooted in clarity, skepticism, and a deep respect for both ideas and people. He is remembered with admiration and gratitude by colleagues across the international community.

Moein Borghei

Avalanche Energy

Dr Gloria Lee

Dr Lee was a ground-breaking academic at Aston and in the UK, not least because she was in those times very often the only senior woman in the room.

Gloria was an important part of what became known as The Aston Approach,and helped to make “The Aston Studies” (a programme of research which looked at the structures of organisations within their context (e.g. technology, size, dependence), significant on the international map. Indeed, she led what came to be regarded as the fourth generation of this work.

Dr Lee’s work was strongly in the Aston University tradition, looking at innovation, technology, and management. Her studies included one from 1977 which revealed that immigrants are no more accident prone than other workers, and her contribution to an Aston-authored 1991 book on Achieving a competitive edge through Technology and People was entitled Technology and the Drive for Quality: A study of survival in the foundry industry. Gloria’s work on Technology Transfer, helped create a platform to an area in which Aston University is still a leader.

She has a passionate advocate of both research and executive education, and as a member of the Business School Executive led from the front both research and education initiatives, including introducing one of the first distance-learning MBAs. She became a renowned authority on this kind of education, publishing her article on Distance Learning MBAs: Issues and Opportunities in 1988. Dr Lee was an important member of the Business School senior leadership team.

Gloria had a rich and rewarding family life and many Aston colleagues during her time here benefitted from her hospitality, including on the family narrowboat.

Ian Martin

Dr. Ian Martin, Emeritus Professor, Aston University, Birmingham, U.K. died in Cambridge on September 11, 2024. He was 80 years old.

It is conventional to start an obituary of a significant scientific figure, such as Ian, with an outline of his career and his achievements. This obituary does of course cover this. However, as friends of Ian, we have chosen to begin with an anecdote which we think captures much of the spirit and genius of the man.

It was 1990, the coffee room in the MRC Molecular Neurobiology Unit in Cambridge. With a colleague, now an FRS, one of us (DRP) was looking blankly at data on the iron-binding affinities for a series of ligands. Ian walked in and greeted us with a smile; “Haven’t you boys sorted that trivial little problem yet?”. The trivial problem had stymied us for several weeks. Ian listened to us, looked at the data, drew heavily on his pipe and then queried “Isn’t it obvious?”. He gently explained to us what a stability constant was, drawing on his training as a chemist, and described what it implied for our work. Our eyes were opened; the data now made sense and a paper eventually resulted. We asked Ian if he wanted to be an author. Of course he declined; it was reward enough for him that he had been able to help us. This incident could be multiplied many fold over Ian’s working life. A distinguished scientist in his own right, he helped and mentored all those who worked around him with his kindness, wisdom and gentle support.

Ian was born and raised in Stockport, England. After obtaining his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Bristol, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 3 years with Pfizer in Sandwich, Kent. He joined the MRC Neuropharmacology Unit at the University of Birmingham in 1969 and while there completed his PhD. In 1980, he joined the MRC Neurochemical Pharmacology Unit (later named the MRC Molecular Neurobiology Unit) in Cambridge as an MRC Scientist and was subsequently promoted to MRC Senior Scientist. In 1992, Ian moved to the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada as Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology. After serving 5 years in that position, he moved back to England, taking up a position as Professor and Head of Pharmacology in the Pharmacy School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University in Birmingham. He became an Emeritus Professor upon his retirement from Aston in 2009 and moved to Wicken, Cambridgeshire. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society in 2010 for his contributions to the discipline.

Ian was well known internationally for his elegant research on the structure and function of receptors involved in anxiety disorders, particularly for his work on benzodiazepines and the GABA-A receptor. This expanded latterly to cover a range of ligand-gated ion channels. Due to his expertise and enthusiasm, he established productive collaborations with scientists not only in the United Kingdom but in several other countries. His papers drew variously on classical pharmacology, electrophysiology, behavioural models, protein chemistry and molecular, structural and computational biology. A talented educator and administrator, he was respected widely by trainees and peers alike for his common sense, approachable manner and great sense of humour. He took a deep interest in the training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and many of them became his lifelong friends. His favourite sayings (for example, “The data do not lie” and “Two things float to the top and only one of them is cream”) remain cherished by those who heard them. His care for his colleagues was exemplary; he would fight for all he was worth to defend their interests when that was necessary. For those in pressing need, he and Alison would offer themselves unstintingly to give them space to recover.

A funeral service for Ian was held in Cambridge on October 3, 2024 and was attended by family and many former friends and colleagues in person or online. Ian is survived by Alison, his loving wife of 58 years, and by his daughter Anna (James Kirkup), son Andrew (Andrea) and grandchildren William, Annika and Henry.

Glen Baker (University of Alberta) and David Poyner (Aston University).

Jim Shields 

It is with great sadness that colleagues learned in 2023 of the death of Jim Shields, formerly Professor of French Politics and Modern History (2010-2018) at Aston University (Birmingham, UK). He served as Head of French in the Department of Languages and Translation Studies in what was then the School of Languages and Social Sciences. Jim had a long relationship with Aston, having been first appointed Lecturer in French in 1984. It was during that early period that he set aside the literary interests that had led him to write his doctoral thesis on the French novelist Stendhal and turn to the study of the French National Front party, which had its own breakthrough moment in the European elections of 1984.

Jim’s career path then took him to University of Warwick in April 1990 where he held posts as Senior Lecturer and Reader. His genial courses on French politics, political parties, elections, and psephology (a word Jim loved) were enthusiastically attended by several generations of Warwick undergraduates. Jim was a gifted teacher and a warm supporter of junior researchers (such as myself when our paths first crossed in 2003). His commitment to pastoral matters is illustrated by his long service as Warden of Tocil Residence while at Warwick. Tributes from former students poured in following his death.

Jim released his monograph The Extreme Right in France: From Pétain to Le Pen with Routledge in 2007. He edited two further collections of studies and since 2000 had authored more than twenty articles or book chapters. During a long and distinguished career, he was elected to the Academy of Social Sciences, the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Arts, and his research was funded by the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Nuffield Foundation. During the last year of his professorship at Aston (2017-18), he held a Leverhulme Research Fellowship for a project entitled ‘How Extremists Govern: Lessons from France’. He had earlier been awarded the distinguished Stanley Hoffmann Prize (2007) by the Political Science Association in recognition of his essay ‘Political Representation in France: A Crisis of Democracy?’ (2006), judged the best anglophone essay on French politics that year (from a pool of 233 articles). The jury was chaired by Hoffmann himself, and it was a matter of enduring pride to Jim to have had his scholarship recognised by one of the great figures of contemporary French political science. Jim later served on the AHRC Peer Review College and as a consultant for various associations, but he still graciously submitted to the internal review of his own grant applications by junior colleagues.

Like many brilliant scholars, Jim was a complex individual with a rich array of hidden talents (Spanish and Portuguese were among his other languages) and a varied hinterland. He was a sportsman and amateur footballer, enjoying regular Celtic banter with his last doctoral student Dr Chris O’Neill, a fellow Glaswegian and enthusiast for the history of the Vichy Regime and the German occupation (1940-1944). In his rarely varying outfit of cream-coloured linen jacket, Jim would welcome visitors to his office with a warm ‘Cher ami’ in a deep Scottish brogue. If he was on campus but out of the office, Jim would leave that cream jacket on the back of his chair to let people know he was around and available. Students came often and benefitted greatly from his erudition and kindly tolerance (a quality less available in the face of administrative overreach).

Jim took early retirement in 2018. What he did not disclose to colleagues at the time was that he had already been fighting an aggressive cancer for twenty-five years. He was thus able to spend his final years with his family in Bristol: his wife Dr Britta Shields-Martens (UWE), and son Alex and daughter Lena of whom he was so prodigiously proud. Nevertheless, during that period he kept up for some time his appearances in the media which had become legion during his tenure at Aston and were worth the equivalent of several million pounds in advertising investment. Jim was a regular guest on BBC World, BBC News, France 24 News, TRT World and other news channels where his insightful commentary and easy manner were greatly valued by newscasters.

He was appointed Honorary Professor of French Studies at Warwick in 2018.