Sir Charles Haynes Wilson, Kt, MA, (1909-2002)
Michael Rhodes
University of Glasgow, 1961-76, died at his home at Dalry, near Castle
Douglas, 9 November, 2002. He was 93.
He was born 16 May, 1909, the son of George Wilson, and his wife, the
former Florence Margaret Hannay, & was educated at Hillhead High
School; Glasgow University [MA]; Glasgow University Faulds Fellow in
Political Philosphy, 1932-34.
Wilson made a life study of the mechanics of government. His honours
degree at Glasgow - he began with modern languages - was in political
economy.
He then lectured in political science at the London School of
Economics [1934-39] before going to Corpus Christi, Oxford, where he
taught "Modern Greats" for 13 years, 1939-52.
Wilson described teaching as "my raison d'etre".
In 1952 he went to Leicester when it was still a university college.
As principal of what he described as "a minor form of political
organisation", he was able to turn his fascination with the art of
democratic government in a practical direction.
Under his guidance the university college at Leicester became a fully
fledged university, its principal a vice-chancellor.
He was a popular vice-chancellor, although early on he made several
extremely unpopular decisions.
He forbade a debate on nuclear disarmament in which Sir Oswald Mosley
was to take part "in the interests of good relations between the
university and the public".
In 1959 a group of students had to work all night to remove a poem
from their "rag week" magazine because the vice-chancellor had said
the alternative was to destroy the whole issue. Again he was concerned
with giving offence to people outside the university community.
Another distinguished academic -and Glaswegian - compared Dr Wilson to
a "highly cultivated n.c.o. in the Highland Light Infantry."
He took up his appointment at Glasgow in 1961. He was a popular
vice-chancellor.
His interests were not entirely fixed on his own parish. He was
chairman of the Commission on Fourah Bay College and visited Sierra
Leone in 1957.He had concerns with the plans for the University of
Sussex and the University of East Anglia.
He edited a book of essays on local government, and contributed
special articles on constitutional problems to The Times.
Professor Wilson married in 1935, Jessie Gilmour Wilson, by whom he
had one son, and two daughters.
He was knighted in 1965.
The funeral service will be held at St Margaret's Church, New
Galloway, 14 November, 2002, at 1.30 p.m.
--
Michael Rhodes.