Rachel Trickett
Rachel Trickett (20 December 1923 – 24 June 1999) was an English novelist, non‑fiction writer, literary scholar, and a prominent British academic; she served as Principal of St Hugh’s College, Oxford, for nearly twenty years, between 1973 and 1991.
Rachel Trickett | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 December 1923 |
| Died | 24 June 1999 (aged 75) Oxford, England |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Occupation | academic |
| Known for | non-fiction writer |
Education
Trickett was educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She became a lecturer in English at the University of Hull in 1946 and in 1954 she returned to Oxford as a fellow and tutor at St Hugh’s College.
Principal of St. Hugh's College
As Principal of St. Hugh's College, Trickett often showed a side of gaeity: on her instruction, the chapel at the college was redecorated in 18th-century colours. Her friend Laurence Whistler designed the college's beautiful gilded wrought iron Swan gates, which can now be found by the Principal's house on Canterbury Road.[1]
Other work
Trickett was the author of the novel The Return Home (London, Constable & Co., 1952), and of The Course of Love (London, Constable & Co., 1954). Her The Honest Muse: A Study in Augustan Verse was published by Clarendon Press, Oxford, in 1967.
It is said that "she had a wicked eye for the conceit of academics, their insularity and devious manipulations",[2] an attitude which made her a soul‑mate of Erich Heller.
Legacy
The Rachel Trickett Building at St. Hugh's College is named in her honour.
References
- https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/jul/08/guardianobituaries2 Obituary for Rachel Trickett - Forthright Oxford principal and novelist of subtlety and wit
- Michael Gearin-Tosh, 'Rachel Trickett', The Independent (London), June 30, 1999.
Bibliography
- Gearin-Tosh, Michael (2002) Living Proof: a medical mutiny. ISBN 0-7432-0677-0
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kathleen Kenyon |
Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford 1973 to 1991 |
Succeeded by Derek Wood |
