Henry Jackson (classicist)
Encyclopedia
Henry Jackson, OM, was an English classicist. He served as the vice-master of Trinity College, Cambridge
from 1914 to 1919, praelector in ancient philosophy from 1875 to 1906 and Regius Professor of Greek (Cambridge)
at the University of Cambridge
from 1906 to 1921, and was awarded the Order of Merit on 26 June 1908. From 1882 to 1892 he sat on the Council of the Senate of the University of Cambridge, and was an active member of a number of the university boards. He lived within the walls of Trinity College for over 50 years. Born in Sheffield, he lived mainly in Cambridge, but died in Bournemouth.
, the son of an eminent Sheffield surgeon of the same name, he attended Sheffield Collegiate School
and Cheltenham College
before entering Trinity College Cambridge in 1858; he graduated BA in 1862 as third Classic. He joined the Cambridge Apostles
in 1863. He became a fellow at Trinity College in 1864, and became Assistant Tutor in 1866, Praelector in Ancient Philosophy in 1875 and Vice-Master in 1914.
Together with Henry Sidgwick
and others he essentially established the Cambridge university's supervisory system by introducing it in the classical side at Trinity. Other disciplines and other colleges soon followed suit. He was interested in university reform including the reform of Triposes (including the Classical Triposes), the admission of women for university education, the abolition of tests, and for the general reform of university and college statutes, and voted for women's degrees. He became Regius professor of Greek at Cambridge University, a post he was appointed to in 1906, following Sir Richard Jebb; after 1879 he became one of the editors of The Journal of Philology until his death. In July, 1919, Jackson was honored on the occasion of his eightieth birthday and his retirement as Vice-Master of Trinity College, with an address presented by the Master and Fellows.
Jackson's area of study was Greek philosophy
, but he did not publish greatly - editing book 5 of the Nichomachean Ethics and writing a series of pieces on Plato
's later theory of ideas in the Journal of Philology. His important work was in translating and commenting upon Aristotle
's Ethics. His favourite author was William Makepeace Thackeray
and, long before his death it was said he had read Thackeray's "Henry Esmond" forty times apparently.
His greater achievement was in his lectures and his ability to train the next generation of classical scholars, his more eminent students included R K Gaye, Francis Cornford and R G Bury. He was a founder member of Cambridge University Liberal Club in 1886, ultimately serving as its President from 1897 to 1899.
Henry Jackson died at Bournemouth on September 25 1921, having been a great reformer, both within his college and the university.
There is an article on Jackson in Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society suppl. vol. 28 (Cambridge 2005), 87-110. It is in a special volume entitled The Owl of Minerva: The Cambridge Praelections of 1906.
http://www.rhul.ac.uk/classics/CUCD/stray.html, Stray says "Then there were the joint dining clubs like the Ad Eundem and the Arcades, set up to link members of the two universities. Finally, some men moved from one place to the other, like the archaeologist Percy Gardner, who went from a Cambridge to an Oxford chair. All these mechanisms facilitated mutual learning - as did the railway line. Henry Jackson, who succeeded Richard Jebb as professor of Greek at Cambridge in 1906, belonged to the Ad Eundem club. In 1913 he responded to a comment from a friend that Gilbert Murray was a 'very attractive person' by saying that 'Oxford is very successful in breeding "attractive" scholars: more so than Cambridge. And this is not surprising. For we dare not talk our shop in a mixed company, and even in a scholars' party we are very conscious of our limitations as specialists'." Henry Jackson declared that he always regard the Ad Eundem 'as one of Henry' [Sidgwick]'s good works', and claimed that it has been very useful as a link between Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
from 1914 to 1919, praelector in ancient philosophy from 1875 to 1906 and Regius Professor of Greek (Cambridge)
Regius Professor of Greek (Cambridge)
The Regius Professorship of Greek is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Cambridge. The chair was founded by Henry VIII in 1540 with a stipend of £40 per year, subsequently increased in 1848 by a canonry of Ely Cathedral....
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
from 1906 to 1921, and was awarded the Order of Merit on 26 June 1908. From 1882 to 1892 he sat on the Council of the Senate of the University of Cambridge, and was an active member of a number of the university boards. He lived within the walls of Trinity College for over 50 years. Born in Sheffield, he lived mainly in Cambridge, but died in Bournemouth.
Biography
Born on March 12 1839 in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, the son of an eminent Sheffield surgeon of the same name, he attended Sheffield Collegiate School
Sheffield Collegiate School
Sheffield Collegiate School began in 1836 in new buildings on the corner of Ecclesall Road and Collegiate Crescent...
and Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
before entering Trinity College Cambridge in 1858; he graduated BA in 1862 as third Classic. He joined the Cambridge Apostles
Cambridge Apostles
The Cambridge Apostles, also known as the Cambridge Conversazione Society, is an intellectual secret society at the University of Cambridge founded in 1820 by George Tomlinson, a Cambridge student who went on to become the first Bishop of Gibraltar....
in 1863. He became a fellow at Trinity College in 1864, and became Assistant Tutor in 1866, Praelector in Ancient Philosophy in 1875 and Vice-Master in 1914.
Together with Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick was an English utilitarian philosopher and economist. He was one of the founders and first president of the Society for Psychical Research, a member of the Metaphysical Society, and promoted the higher education of women...
and others he essentially established the Cambridge university's supervisory system by introducing it in the classical side at Trinity. Other disciplines and other colleges soon followed suit. He was interested in university reform including the reform of Triposes (including the Classical Triposes), the admission of women for university education, the abolition of tests, and for the general reform of university and college statutes, and voted for women's degrees. He became Regius professor of Greek at Cambridge University, a post he was appointed to in 1906, following Sir Richard Jebb; after 1879 he became one of the editors of The Journal of Philology until his death. In July, 1919, Jackson was honored on the occasion of his eightieth birthday and his retirement as Vice-Master of Trinity College, with an address presented by the Master and Fellows.
Jackson's area of study was Greek philosophy
Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire...
, but he did not publish greatly - editing book 5 of the Nichomachean Ethics and writing a series of pieces on Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's later theory of ideas in the Journal of Philology. His important work was in translating and commenting upon Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
's Ethics. His favourite author was William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
and, long before his death it was said he had read Thackeray's "Henry Esmond" forty times apparently.
His greater achievement was in his lectures and his ability to train the next generation of classical scholars, his more eminent students included R K Gaye, Francis Cornford and R G Bury. He was a founder member of Cambridge University Liberal Club in 1886, ultimately serving as its President from 1897 to 1899.
Henry Jackson died at Bournemouth on September 25 1921, having been a great reformer, both within his college and the university.
There is an article on Jackson in Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society suppl. vol. 28 (Cambridge 2005), 87-110. It is in a special volume entitled The Owl of Minerva: The Cambridge Praelections of 1906.
Recognition
In Attractive and Nonsensical Classics: Oxford, Cambridge and elsewhere by Christopher Strayhttp://www.rhul.ac.uk/classics/CUCD/stray.html, Stray says "Then there were the joint dining clubs like the Ad Eundem and the Arcades, set up to link members of the two universities. Finally, some men moved from one place to the other, like the archaeologist Percy Gardner, who went from a Cambridge to an Oxford chair. All these mechanisms facilitated mutual learning - as did the railway line. Henry Jackson, who succeeded Richard Jebb as professor of Greek at Cambridge in 1906, belonged to the Ad Eundem club. In 1913 he responded to a comment from a friend that Gilbert Murray was a 'very attractive person' by saying that 'Oxford is very successful in breeding "attractive" scholars: more so than Cambridge. And this is not surprising. For we dare not talk our shop in a mixed company, and even in a scholars' party we are very conscious of our limitations as specialists'." Henry Jackson declared that he always regard the Ad Eundem 'as one of Henry' [Sidgwick]'s good works', and claimed that it has been very useful as a link between Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Books by Henry Jackson
He published a series of articles on "Plato's Later Theory of Ideas" (Journal of Philology); also About Edwin Drood (1911): The Fifth Book of Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle (1879) and Texts to illustrate a Course of Elementary Lectures on the History of Greek Philosophy from Thales to Aristotle (1901).Books about Henry Jackson
PARRY, R Henry Jackson, O M, Vice-Master of Trinity College and Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Cambridge.Cambridge University Press 1926.External links
- http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/lilly/mss/html/jacksnh.html Henry Jackson letters at the Public Services Department, Lilly Library, Indiana University.
- http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD/GBR/0016/JACKSON Papers at Trinity College Library, Cambridge, also http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php?pageid=546&display=40
- http://www.modern-humanities.info/groups/apostles.htm The Apostles of Cambridge (web site)
- extract/37/12/566; The Expository Times: Entre Nous (at bottom); The Expository Times, Vol. 37, No. 12, 566-568 (1926)DOI: 10.1177/001452462603701208.