Tuesday, 22 January 2013
3.00pm: Mr Terry Monnington, Chancellor's Medallist

Wednesday, 23 January 2013
11.00am: Mr Earl Cameron, Hon DLitt
3.00pm: Dr Roberta Warman, Chancellor's Medallist

 

Thursday, 24 January 2013
11.00am: Dame Fiona Reynolds, Hon DSc
3.00pm: Ms Prue Leith, Hon DLitt

 

Tuesday Afternoon – Chancellor’s Medallist

Mr Terry Monnington

Terry Monnington worked at the University for 41 years before he retired in September 2012. Terry led provision for sport and leisure across a wide community, including students, staff and the local community. Born and educated in Birmingham, Terry has devoted his life to sport as a participant, teacher and manager.

Terry first joined the University as a lecturer in Physical Education in 1971. He progressed to a number of senior roles, including acting Director of Graduate Studies from 1995 to 1996, Academic Coordinator of the BA Sports Studies 2 + 2 programme from 1995 to 1998 and as Deputy Director of the Warwick Centre for the Study of Sport in Society in 1998. He made the move from an academic to administrative role in 1997 when he was appointed Director of Physical Education and Sport.

At the University, Terry has overseen the development of impressive new sporting facilities including the opening of the Bear Rock Climbing Centre in 1995, considered by many to be the Midlands’ best indoor climbing. Terry also oversaw the creation and development of Warwick Sport – an innovative and highly successful collaboration between the University and Students’ Union to manage sports participation, including teaching classes, casual sport and club activities.

In the months leading up to his retirement, Terry took lead responsibility for the development and approval of a long term strategic plan for the future development of sport at Warwick to ensure his experience and strategic vision secure a long term legacy for the University.

Wednesday Morning - Honorary Graduate

Mr Earl Cameron: Hon DLitt

Born in Bermuda and now living in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Earl first arrived in the UK in London on the eve of the Second World War, while working for the Merchant Navy. His acting career began in the 1940s with a number of stage roles including playing alongside Patrick McGoohan in a tour of the play Deep are the Roots which included a visit to Coventry.

He became one of the first black actors to break the unofficial “colour bar” in the UK on film and TV, beginning with his breakthrough film acting role in 1951 film Pool of London. This was set in postwar London and involved racial prejudice, romance and a diamond robbery.

His next major film role was in the 1955 film Simba. This was a drama about the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in which Earl Cameron played the role of a doctor trying to reconcile his admiration for Western civilisation with his Kikuyu heritage. He played the Mau Mau general Jeroge in Safari in the same year.

From the 1950s to the present day Cameron has had major parts in many films, including The Heart Within (1957), Sapphire (1959), James Bond movie Thunderball (1965) and The Message (1976). Since then he has appeared in Inception (2010), The Interpreter (2005) and The Queen (2006), where he worked alongside Helen Mirren.

Earl has also appeared on a range of popular television shows including Danger Man, The Prisoner, Jackanory, Doctor Who, Dixon of Dock Green, Crown Court, Lovejoy, Waking the Dead, Kavanagh QC, EastEnders and many more.

In 2009 Earl was awarded a CBE for his services to drama. The Earl Cameron Theatre in Hamilton, Bermuda, was named in his honour at a ceremony he attended there on 5 November 2012.

Wednesday Afternoon – Chancellor’s Medallist

Dr Roberta Warman

Roberta Warman was appointed to Warwick in 1987 as Publications Officer and continued working for the University until her retirement in September 2012.

Roberta became well known for her roles in the Communications Office as Editor of the University’s undergraduate and postgraduate prospectus and guardian of the University’s brand. She also led the publication process of a vast range of other Warwick publications including, for example, a book on Venice, a book on Warwick’s Complexity research, two publications on the history of the Martin family, a history of the University edited by then Registrar Mike Shattock, and research reports by the Warwick Commission – and much, much more.

During her time at Warwick, her title changed several times, the last being Corporate Communications Manager. Her duties simply expanded. Indeed when the time came to look at how to replace Roberta, it became apparent that she had become key to the function of far more aspects of the University than just the Communications Office and replacing her would be challenging.

Roberta has contributed far more to the University than what could be gleaned from her formal role in the Communications Office.

Warwick prides itself on its international links as a globally connected University and Roberta has played a key role in one of Warwick’s significant international activities by her support and promotion of Warwick in Venice, ensuring that the University’s base in the Palazzo Pesaro Papafava helps contribute to Warwick’s reputation as a world class research institution. She’s continuing this work even now that she has retired.

Thursday Morning - Honorary Graduate

Dame Fiona Reynolds: Hon DSc

Dame Fiona Reynolds is Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Dame Fiona was Director-General of the National Trust from 2001 until 2012. During her time at the

National Trust its membership grew from 2.7 million to 4 million.

Over the same period turnover increased from £199 million to more than £420 million. She was involved with the Trust for many years before taking up the position as Director General, serving as a member of the Trust’s Council and on the Thames and Chilterns regional committee. Dame Fiona also chaired the Trust’s local committee for Sutton House in Hackney.

Previously she had served as the Director of the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office, Director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England and from 1980–87 was Secretary to the Council for National Parks. From 2001–2 she served as a member of the Policy Commission on the Future of Food and Farming. Dame Fiona currently serves as a member of the Commission on the Future of Volunteering and is on the Board of Wessex Water as a Non-Executive Director.

She was awarded the CBE for services to the environment and conservation in 1998, Dame Fiona

was then appointed a DBE in 2008.

Thursday Afternoon - Honorary Graduate

Ms Prudence Leith: Hon DLitt

Prue Leith is a novelist who has also been a food writer, television presenter, cook, caterer, teacher,

businesswoman, journalist and charity worker.

Born in South Africa, Prue has spent most of her working life in London, where she set up a hugely successful catering business. She also opened a restaurant and wrote several cook books before taking up roles as cooking correspondent or columnist in the Daily Mail, Sunday Express and The Guardian, and setting up two chef schools.

Prue’s first novel was published in 2005. She now has five novels to her name, as well as her autobiography and her many cookery books.

Her first novel, Leaving Patrick, appeared in 1995, followed by Sisters in 2001, and A Lovesome Thing in 2004, published by Penguin. Her latest two novels Choral Society (2009) and A Serving of Scandal (2010) were both by published by Quercus.

Prue chaired the School Food Trust from November 2006 until January 2010, helping transform school meals. She has also been a judge on the BBC television programme Great British Menu since its inception in 2006.

Prue’s honours include an OBE, awarded in 1989, the Veuve Cliquot Business Woman of the Year award, which she received in 1990, and a CBE, awarded in 2010.