Sir Laurence Woodward Martin DL (30 July 1928 – 24 April 2022)[1] was a British academic who was the vice-chancellor of Newcastle University from 1978 to 1990.

Life and career edit

Martin was born on 30 July 1928 in Cornwall.[2] Educated at St Austell Grammar School, Christ's College, Cambridge and Yale University, Martin joined the Royal Air Force as a Flying Officer in 1948.[3] He married Betty Parnall in 1956 with whom he had two children.[2]

Martin became Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wales in 1966,[4] and was appointed Professor of War Studies at King's College, London in 1968, Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University in 1978 and Director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in 1991.[3] In 1981, he gave the Reith Lectures on the theme The Two-Edged Sword.[4] He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear in 1987.[4] He was knighted in 1994.[2]

Martin died on 24 April 2022, at the age of 93.[2][5]

Works edit

  • Considerations affecting an extension of the test ban, 1966

References edit

  1. ^ Sheppard, Julia (28 June 2022). "Sir Laurence Martin obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Professor Sir Laurence Martin obituary". The Times. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b Academic Archives Hub Archived 29 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b c Debrett's People of Today
  5. ^ "Martin, Sir Laurence Woodward". The Times. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
Academic offices
Preceded by Head of Department of War Studies, KCL
1968–1978
Succeeded by
Wolf Mendl
Preceded by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
1978–1990
Succeeded by