Academic Career
Blakiston attended Tonbridge School. He also studied at Trinity College, Oxford, gaining a first class degree in Literae Humaniores in 1885. He was ordained and became Fellow, Chaplain, and Lecturer at Trinity College in 1887. He then became Tutor in 1892, Senior Tutor and Junior Bursar in 1898, before becoming President of the College (1907–38). He also served simultaneously as Estates Bursar (1915–38).
Blakiston wrote articles for the Dictionary of National Biography. In 1894, he wrote an English translation of several of Cicero's works, including the Catiline Orations and Pro Milone. He wrote a brief work on Durham College, Oxford and a history of Trinity College that was published in 1898. A small print–run of his history of the Blakiston family was published in 1928. He also wrote a collection of ghost stories in Latin.
He was President of Trinity College from 1907 to 1938 and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1917 to 1920. He was badly affected by the loss of 155 Trinity men during World War I, many known to him personally, and devoted much effort to a new library that was to be their memorial. He designed the building himself and paid five percent of its cost from his own pocket. However, during his presidency, Blakiston developed a particular notoriety for disfavouring applications to Trinity from non-white candidates. Notably, he stubbornly resisted pressure from the India Office to admit undergraduates from British India, something that government department was attempting to promote. He was also strongly against Oxford degrees being awarded to women, which began while he served as university Vice–Chancellor and in spite of all he could to do oppose it.
Although he had the right to not retire from the Presidency of Trinity College, he did so on the 1 September 1938, having served for 31 years as President After living at Trinity College for 57 years, he moved to Boars Hill, near Oxford On the 28 July 1942, he was struck by a car while walking in Boars Hill; he died the next day in the Radcliffe Infirmary without regaining consciousnes.
Read more about this topic: Herbert Edward Douglas Blakiston
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