| Description | Track 1 [00:58:29] [Session one: 11 July 2019] Roy Griffin [RG], born Plymouth, Devon, 1924. RG briefly remembers growing up in Plymouth - ‘time of great depression’, his parents, father worked for the Council, mentions going to grammar school. RG remembers being 14 when war began, at 17 enlisted to wartime University based engineering course, training engineering officers, explains he had a short career once qualified (2 years later) due to serious illness. Remembers returning to college to complete an honours course, after which he was appointed student lecturer, Physics department [PD], Swansea University [SU], September 1946. [00:02:17] RG favourably comments on PD staff (1946) – Frank Llewellyn Jones (Department head), P.M. Davison (Principal Lecturer) and Leonard Wright, LW appointed in 1920s, and Granville Beynon [GB] (Assistant Lecturer, later Professor at Aberystwyth University) – describes GB’s career before and after SU. RG also comments on non-academic staff – Eric Homeyard [Sp?] (Workshop boss), Sid Longhurst (skilled mechanic), Mr Jenkins (Lab Superintendent) and a Departmental Secretary (not named). RG describes physical set up of PD, mentions it was comfortable. Explains academic changes in 1946 - an intermediate class, taken by ex-servicemen, remarks they worked hard; first year Honours students taking 3 subjects. Mentions lack of resources for tutorials, but students could ‘knock on the door’ with questions. Comments briefly on a lively Student Physics Society. [00:08:45] Briefly mentions gradual increase in students and staff after 1946, and two buildings extensions. RG remembers knowing people across SU due to its small nature – comments on friendship with Glanmor Williams [GW], -mentions cricket. Describes visiting the Junior and Senior Common Rooms in Abbey building and an active staff club. RG briefly mentions metallurgy department and the SU Principal being a professor of metallurgy - remarks this meant the registrar at time ran the college (asked RG to join the Masons). Describes the ‘rotten’ pension scheme – ran into the 1970s. RG talks about Principal J Fulton [JF}, appointed 1947, mentions JF’s friend Harold Wilson and comments favourably on JF’s work expanding the campus buildings - Fulton House, Sciences, Engineering, Halls of Residence, Chemistry and Physics. Tells story about size of the new Physics building - involves the Wolfenden report recommendation on increased capacity needed for science students. Talks about change from a close knit society at College to more separate departments, change in socialising and friendships. [00:17:40] RG describes circumstances of 1960s unions strike regards paying PhD students, comments that it brought college to its knees, destroyed relationship between research students and supervisors at the time. Comments on abundance of money in 1960s - early 1970s, then major changes in the early 1980s when departments were being closed – Chemistry, Geology. Remembers huge numbers of staff leaving and describes generous, ‘never repeated’ terms. Explains agreeing to give course of lectures post retirement in exchange for a room, mentions his speciality was optic spectroscopy. RG remarks his academic career wasn’t ‘superb’, toward its end his interest was in teaching and running the labs, briefly remarks on introduction of computers. Mentions gradual change in equipment used in PD, tells short story of circumstances leading to PD buying outdated equipment. [00:24:21] RG comments briefly on change in students in, mentions Grammar Schools of Valleys. Remarks on job opportunities for students in 1960s and 1970s, remembers a ‘time of great optimism’. Mentions post-doctoral students and visiting lecturers to the research school. RG describes difficulty appointing PD head when Llewellyn Jones [LLJ] left, eventually filled by Peter Thonemann [PT] – explains PT’s research relating to nuclear fusion, remarks on his ‘very bright’ character and his teaching and management style, tells anecdote. Comments briefly on LLJ’s appointment to SU Principal, and speculates that he regretted the move. Mentions that P.M. Davidson [PMD], Jack Dutton and Colin Morgan ran the PD until PT appointed. Brief general comment on PD heads. Mentions academic staff numbers and comments on advantage and disadvantage of high proportion of internal appointments (1980s mentioned). Remembers knowing John France, (History Department) and remembers his sudden departure from active politics to a purely academic career. RG talks about Neville Masterman and tells a brief anecdote, mentions GW. Remarks on college expanding after the war - double its size by 1950. Briefly comments again on student ex-servicemen. Compares College - 1940s to 1960s, staffing and lectures. [00:35:17] RG explains and comments on lectures, initiated by JF, designed to encourage interests across science and arts disciplines. Remarks positively on JF’s work building the new campus. Remembers the refectory set up for staff and students, remarks on sitting opposite Fulton, describes him as very approachable. RG comments on enjoying SU’s location, mentions Singleton Park, and the entrances - mentions Singleton Abbey and Futon house. [00:38:33] Remarks students didn’t change greatly but describes how physics teaching did – remarks on learning the new Physics. Remembers Mel Hopkins joining the department after his PHd, from ‘Steel Company Research Association’, Sketty Hall, Swansea, RG briefly comments on him academically and tells amusing anecdote. Talks about friend, PMD and tells anecdotes, private and professional about PMD’s money phobia -includes LLJ. [00:41:37] RG remembers the limited College social life – mentions Saturday dance. Talks about staff marrying through College, mentions himself and Jeff (sp?) Brown (assistant Physics lecturer) married library assistants. Explains the library was a centre of activity due to research methods, compares to current day research methods. Remembers PD students made ‘major contributions’, including at CERN [European Council for Nuclear Research] –Mentions Lyn Evans (student of Thonemann), involved later with the Large Hadron Collider, also staff spending sabbatical terms at CERN, and great benefits of working there. Brief discussion of Swansea University [SU] as a major employer in Swansea currently. RG remembers time of affiliation to Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Bangor, comments on why colleges became independent. Remembers students came to Swansea when Cardiff didn’t run a Physics Honours course. Short discussion around Cardiff’s merger with UWIST [University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology]. [00:48:48] RG remarks briefly on enjoying living in Swansea, mentions his current circumstances at home. Talks about his current contact with SU – mentions knowing Mike Charlton. Details the technical staff in his time and remarks on their high standard, comments on his friend Huw (sp?) Jones (laboratory Superintendent) and his life. RG explains turning down a job offer at Woolwich Polytechnic, short discussion on working in London, RG mentions Swansea’s reputation as ‘City of lost ambition’. Remembers life and career of Frank Rhodes, Professor of Geology at SU - became President of Cornell University, USA – comments on ‘sheer luxury’ of Cornell and compares to Oxford and Cambridge, UK. Remembers SU Principals John Parry and Brian Clarkson [BC]. |