Dean Close School - Notable Old Decanians

Notable Old Decanians

Former students of the school are known as 'Old Decanians', decanus being the Latin for dean.

• Charlie de Rusett, Publisher and Entrepreneur
• George Adamson, environmentalist.
• Oliver Claude Allison, bishop.
• Francis Bacon, artist.
• Richard St. Barbe Baker, environmentalist, forester and writer.
• Francis Berry, poet and critic.
• Peter Browne, professional rugby union player for Harlequins
• Denis Burkitt, surgeon.
• Ernest Cossart, actor (and brother of composer Gustav Holst).
• Basil Dale, former Anglican Bishop of Jamaica.
• William Dimoline, British general.
• Verrier Elwin, missionary.
• Robert Evans, Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford.
• James Flecker, English poet, novelist and playwright.
• Jon Foster, English comedy writer.
• Andrew Goudie, geographer and Master of St Cross College, Oxford.
• Ernest Hoare, cricketer.
• Tom Johnson, professional rugby union player for Exeter Chiefs and England
• Brian Jones, musician, guitarist and founding member of The Rolling Stones.
• G. Wilson Knight, literary critic and academic.
• Gordon Luce, scholar and member of the Cambridge Apostles.
• Samer Majali, businessman.
• Ben Marsden, hockey player for England.
• Mpumelelo Mbangwa, cricketer and commentator.
• Will Merrick, actor.
• John Metcalf, composer.
• Robert Moreland, consultant and politician.
• Geoffrey Page, World War II fighter pilot.
• Hugh Quarshie, actor.
• Bernard Ribeiro, former president of the Royal College of Surgeons.
• John Simpson, Chief Editor, Oxford English Dictionary
• Jim Thompson, bishop.
• William Welch, bishop.