Michael Swann

{{Infobox scientist

| honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable

| name = The Lord Swann

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRS|FRSE}}

| birth_name = Michael Meredith Swann

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = Michael Swann 1987.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Swann in 1987

| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|03|01|df=y}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1990|09|02|1920|03|01|df=y}}

| death_place =

| education = {{plainlist|

}}

| nationality = British

| fields =

| workplaces = {{plainlist|

}}

| known_for = The mechanisms of cell division and fertilisation

| spouse = {{marriage|Tess Gleadowe|1942}}

| children = 4

}}

Michael Meredith Swann, Baron Swann, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|FRS|FRSE}}{{Cite journal | last1 = Mitchison | first1 = J. M. | doi = 10.1098/rsbm.1991.0023 | title = Michael Meredith Swann Baron Swann of Coln St Denys. 1 March 1920 – 22 September 1990 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | volume = 37 | pages = 446–460| year = 1991 | s2cid = 70752369 | jstor = 770039 | doi-access = free }} (1 March 1920 – 22 September 1990) was a British molecular and cell biologist. He was appointed chairman of the BBC, awarded a knighthood and subsequently a life peerage.

Early life

Swann was born in Cambridge, the eldest of three children of pathologist Meredith Blake Robson Swann and his wife, Marjorie Dykes.{{cite ODNB |title=Swann, Michael Meredith, Baron Swann (1920–1990), biologist and public servant|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-40021 |year=2004 |access-date=3 May 2019 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/40021}}

Swann was educated at King's College School, Cambridge,{{Cite book|title=A History of King's College Choir School Cambridge|author=Henderson, RJ|year=1981|publisher=King's College Choir School |isbn=978-0-9507528-0-8}} and then at Winchester College, a boarding independent school for boys in the city of Winchester in Hampshire, where he was an Exhibitioner. He then studied zoology at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated MA and PhD.

Life and works

He served with the British Army during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and being Mentioned in Dispatches.[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/24/obituaries/lord-swann-70-former-chief-of-bbc-and-educator-dies.html "Lord Swann, 70, Former Chief of BBC And Educator, Dies"], Associated Press via New York Times. 24 September 1990. From 1946 Swann lectured in zoology at the University of Cambridge, his alma mater.[http://www.york.ac.uk/50/people Profile], University of York. York.ac.uk; retrieved 2 June 2014.

He moved to Edinburgh University as professor of natural history in 1952. In 1953 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were James Ritchie, John Gaddum, Sir Maurice Yonge and Harold Callan. He won the society's Makdougall Brisbane Prize for 1970/72. In 1962 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London.{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=13 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}

His academic work was on the mechanisms of cell division and fertilisation. He used cell polarisation methods to understand the changes in molecular organisation of the mitotic spindle. With his collaborator Murdoch Mitchison, he found evidence in support of a new theory of cell division. He collaborated with Victor Rothschild in experiments on changes in membrane structure during fertilisation.

From 1965 to 1974, he was the principal and vice-chancellor of Edinburgh University. In 1968, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science from the University of Leicester.[http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/governance/calendar/university-records/honorary-graduates Honorary Graduates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809055423/http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/governance/calendar/university-records/honorary-graduates |date=9 August 2013 }}, le.ac.uk; retrieved 2 June 2014. During his term as principal, he encountered difficulty with students led by Gordon Brown, who had unusually been elected as rector of the university.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/lady-tess-swann-organist-viola-player-and-wife-of-lord-swann-1801812.html Lady Tess Swann obituary], The Independent, 13 October 2009. He received a knighthood in the 1972 Birthday Honours,{{London Gazette|issue=45678|date=3 June 1972|page=6256|supp=y}} having the honour conferred by the Queen herself on 5 December 1972.{{London Gazette|issue=45849|date=12 December 1972|page=14743}}

He was chairman of the governors of the BBC from 1973 to 1980 having been appointed by Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath, who admired his strong leadership during student protests at Edinburgh University.BBC Chairmen listing [https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/resources/factsheets/chairmen.pdf The BBC] He was created a life peer as Baron Swann, of Coln St Denys in the County of Gloucestershire on 16 February 1981.{{London Gazette|issue=48529 |date=19 February 1981|page=2441}}Heraldic Media Ltd., Patrick Cracoft-Brennan [http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/ Cracroft Peerage Database v5.2] In 1980 Swann became Provost of Oriel College,{{cite web|url=http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/about/publish/histcon.pdf |title=Who, Where and When: The History & Constitution of the University of Glasgow Oxford |access-date=3 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060725160731/http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/about/publish/histcon.pdf |archive-date=25 July 2006 }}. University of Glasgow although he resigned after nine months,{{cite book|first=Adam |last=Sisman|title=Hugh Trevor-Roper: The Biography |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |year=2010|page=451}} and was also Chancellor of the University of York from 1979 until his death.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/11_november/28/dyke_york.shtml Greg Dyke to be Chancellor of the University of York]. BBC. 11 November 2003 In 1981, he was made an honorary fellow of Trinity College Dublin.{{cite book |last=Webb |first=D.A. |editor-first=Barlett |editor-last=J.R.|date=1992 |title=Trinity College Dublin Record Volume 1991 |location=Dublin |publisher=Trinity College Dublin Press |isbn=1-871408-07-5|page=}}

In 1969 he led the Swann Report "on The Flow into Employment of Scientists, Engineers and Technologists". In 1985 he led the Swann Report "Education for All", a report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Children from Ethnic Minority Groups.

He died in London on 22 September 1990.

Legacy

The Michael Swann Building of the University of Edinburgh at Kings Buildings is named after him. It continues to be used for work on cell division and fertilisation to this day.

Family

In 1942, he married Tess Gleadowe (died 2009). They had two sons and two daughters.

File:Entrance to the Michael Swann building, Edinburgh University. - geograph.org.uk - 1150816.jpg

Several of Swann's relatives were prominent in their own rights:

His brother Hugh Swann was cabinet maker to Queen Elizabeth II.
His uncle Brigadier Vivian Dykes was chief combined secretary to the British Joint Staff Mission in Washington in 1942.
His stepfather was Sir Sydney Castle Roberts, secretary of Cambridge University Press, an author and vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
His brother-in-law was Monsignor Graham Leonard, who was the Bishop of London before converting to Roman Catholicism.

References

External links

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/keyfacts/stories/chairmen.shtml#swann Entry on "BBC Key Facts"]
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4553774.stm Another article on the BBC]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060924163400/http://www.ed.ac.uk/maps/places/michael-swann-building/ Michael Swann Building, University of Edinburgh]

{{succession box | before=Lord Hill | title=Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors| after=George Howard | years=1973–1980}}

{{succession box | before=Edward Victor Appleton | title=Principals of the University of Edinburgh | years=1965–1974| after=Sir Hugh Robson}}

{{succession box | before=[[Kenneth Clark|The Right Honourable

The Lord Clark]] | title=Chancellor of University of York | years=1979–1990| after=Janet Baker}}

Category:1920 births

Category:1990 deaths

Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh

Category:BBC governors

Category:Chairmen of the BBC

Category:British biologists

Category:Chancellors of the University of York