It is with sadness that we inform you of the death of Sir Gordon Higginson鈥� Southampton鈥檚 Vice鈥揅hancellor from 1985 until his retirement in 1994.
Sir Gordon鈥檚 funeral service will take place at Highfield Church on Monday 21 November at 12.00pm鈥毬燼nd at Southampton Crematorium at 1.15pm.
Gordon Higginson was Professor of Engineering at Durham University for twenty years before being appointed Vice-Chancellor at Southampton in 1985. In his nine years as V-C, he worked to establish a coherent programme for the University鈥檚 long-term expansion, and to help it adjust to the dramatic new patterns of funding and management imposed on universities in the 1980s.
Paying tribute, Vice-Chancellor Professor Don Nutbeam, said: “Gordon Higginson was Vice-Chancellor at Southampton when I was a PhD student here in the 1980s.
鈥淗e made a major contribution to the success of Southampton today, guiding the University through what were very difficult times for the whole university sector. Under his administration Southampton invested wisely in education and research facilities and his legacy can be seen across all our campuses.鈥�
Sir Gordon had a key role in advancing the University鈥檚 development within the city, acquiring additional land and liaising closely with the city to create an environment in which the University could expand. It was during his term as Vice-Chancellor that the University purchased the former Richard Taunton鈥檚 College site (now Avenue Campus) as well as that of the former Hampton Park School in Broadlands Road.
He oversaw the development of a series of key University research centres, including the Optoelectronics Research Centre, Southampton Oceanography Centre (now NOC), which opened the year after he retired, and the Environmental Epidemiology Unit. He also enthusiastically supported the development of the University Science Park at Chilworth.
鈥淧robably the greatest achievement of Gordon Higginson’s Vice-Chancellorship was the absolutely central role that he played in the establishment of the Southampton Oceanography Centre,鈥� suggests John Lauwerys, the University鈥檚 former Secretary and Registrar. 鈥淭he creation of the SOC required one of the very largest investments made in the late 1980s, with 拢32 million allocated jointly by the Natural Environment Research Council and the then University Grants Committee. Through a unique partnership between the University and NERC, a world-leading research centre was created on the Southampton waterfront, providing the University with outstanding facilities for its staff and students in Oceanography and Geology.鈥�
Sir Gordon was knighted in 1992 and awarded an honorary degree by the University of Southampton in 1995. At the degree ceremony, the Public Orator 鈥� former colleague, Ron Stannard 鈥� commented that Sir Gordon鈥檚 Vice-Chancellorship was 鈥渕arked by a singular warmth and humanity; by a sympathy for and understanding of the young; by a genuine belief in grassroots developments; and by a common touch which led him to value everything and take pleasure in all.鈥�
Bernard Naylor, the University鈥檚 Librarian in the 1980s and 90s, adds: 鈥淕ordon was at ease with people at all levels of the University. All were treated with the same unfailing warmth and courtesy, and all were given the feeling that their efforts were valued.鈥�
An eminent engineer, Sir Gordon was one of the leading experts in hydrodynamic lubrication and tribology of his generation. His passion for education led him to continue to teach during his years as Vice-Chancellor.
A graduate of Leeds University, Sir Gordon had worked briefly for the Ministry of Supply before being appointed lecturer at Leeds in1953. He was appointed to a chair in civil engineering at Durham in 1965, remaining there for the next 20 years.
A member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, in the 1990s he served as chair of the engineering board of the Science and Engineering Research Council. He had a central and influential role in the University Grants Committee Physical Sciences Sub-committee in the early 1980s; and he was also a member of the planning committee that oversaw the establishment of the highly ranked Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
For many years Sir Gordon was a member of the board of Rolls-Royce; and following the privatisation of the railway system in the UK in the 1990s, he was the founding Chair of the Railway Heritage Committee, which supervised the transfer of historic artefacts and records to collecting institutions. Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor Michael Bourn recalls that Sir Gordon was a great admirer of the pioneering engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of whose many achievements was the creation of the Great Western Railway.
Married with five children, Sir Gordon and his wife Marjorie played an active part in University social life. 鈥淣otwithstanding his own particular professional expertise, Gordon retained a strong interest in the wider canvas and made clear his belief that one of the major purposes of the creation of wealth through technical advances was to facilitate enjoyment of the creative arts,鈥� adds Bernard Naylor. 鈥淗e was a good friend to the University’s theatre, concert hall and art gallery and it was not difficult to get him to join an outing to a local jazz concert.鈥�
On the national stage Gordon Higginson will also be remembered as the author of the 1988 Higginson Report on education for 16-18 year-olds. The report, from a committee commissioned by government and chaired by Sir Gordon, advised that the A-level system was too narrow and that students specialized too early. Its recommendation was for the curriculum to be broadened to become more like the French Baccalaureate and specifically with a five-subject structure. However, despite gaining widespread approval, this was famously rejected by the Thatcher government in favour of retaining A-levels.
Another later report authored under Sir Gordon鈥檚 name met with greater success in 1996. This related to further education and made a number of recommendations for supporting FE colleges’ use of IT, setting a framework for Information & Learning Technology (ILT) development across the FE sector over the following years.
鈥淚n addition to his contribution to University education, Sir Gordon was also passionate about education for the 16 to 18 years age group, and the issues he championed remain as relevant today,鈥� comments Professor Nutbeam.
鈥淥ver his long and successful career, Sir Gordon left a lasting legacy to education, to engineering and importantly to the University of Southampton.鈥�