University College Plymouth St Mark & St John

The University College is empowered to confer honorary degrees upon persons who have achieved great distinction in their professional and personal lives and made outstanding contributions to the fabric of our society. 

July 2011

Dr Robert Lawson-Peebles

Bob Lawson-Peebles went to Sussex University in October 1972, where he took a BA and then an MA in American Studies.  He then moved to Oxford University to undertake a Doctorate in English.  After jobs at the Universities of Oxford, Princeton and Aberdeen, he moved to Exeter University in 1988. In addition to teaching the full range of literature in English at Exeter, he was Head of the School of English, Chair of the Academic Staff Association, and Associate Dean of Academic Partnerships.  It was partly through this last role that he worked with Marjon, in a variety of audit and visiting activities, but principally as a member of Marjon’s Research Committee, from 1997 to 2008.  Bob took “late” retirement from Exeter in 2008, but continued to teach part-time until December 2010.

He still undertakes research. His field is transatlantic cultural relations, from pre-Columbian times to the present.  He has published three books on the cultural history of the American environment, and a literary history of America, beginning in the eighth century BC and ending in 1880.   Bob has written over 90 articles covering such subject as Sir Walter Ralegh, the Amazon River, George Washington, James Fenimore Cooper, and contemporary politics.  He has a long-standing interest in American music (particularly jazz and the musical). In 1996 he edited Approaches to the American Musical.  An essay on Follies will shortly appear in the Oxford Handbook to Stephen Sondheim.  Bob is currently working on the impact of American music on European culture, for which he has received a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship.  He is a Fellow of the Salzburg Seminar and the Higher Education Academy. He has also held Fellowships with the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Antiquarian Society, the Early American Studies Center, Philadelphia, and the John Carter Brown Library, Providence, New Jersey (twice).  In the time that he has spare, he collects recordings of jazz and classical music, watches movies, and walks the family dog.

July 2010

Wilfred Hopkins

Born in 1928 in Collyhurst, Manchester, Wilfred attended St William's Infant and St Chad's Elementary School. Wilfred passed a scholarship in 1939 and went to Xaverian College Grammar School.

Wilfred was evacuated to Blackpool in 1941 and at the age of fifteen whilst still at school he worked as a shoe-shine boy. Wilfred had hopes of becoming a star reporter but felt that without an Oxbridge education he'd have few prospects. He went of to work for the inland revenue as a clerk, but this drove him slowly to distraction and so Wilfred decided to become a teacher and attended the College of St Mark & St John, Chelsea (1945-47)

He took his first teaching post in a Secondary Modern school in Manchester. Wilfred continued his professional development, gaining a BA (Admin) with Distinction in 1955, a Diploma in Secondary Education in 1957, he became Head of English at the age of 28 and was awarded a Master in Education.

Most famously Wilfred is the Author of "our kid" (Billy Hopkins) and has sold over 300,000 books and it has also been published in Spanish "Nuestro Pequeno Billy".

Six further books inlcude "Tommy's World, Kate's Story, High Hopes, Going Places, Anything Goes and Whatver Next" They are really one story in seven episodes.

Graham Dawe (Richard Graham Reed Dawe)

Born in Tavistock Devon in 1959, Graham played rugby for Bath, Sale, The Barbarians and various other representative teams whilst also achieving five full caps for England and appearing in two World Cup.

Graham became a player and coach for Plymouth Albion in 1999 and later Devon. During his England days Graham helped numerous charities, but especially with St Austell Hydrotherapy Pool Trust - a centre for mentally and physically disabled poeple in Cornwall. He has raised money for Dame Hannah Rodgers School in Ivybridge, Conrwall Air Ambulance and St. Luke's Hospice to name a few.

Graham Dawe has coached and inspired many young people in many countries over the years, including coaching in townships in South Africa. In 1995 he was introduced to Nelson Mandela - which he says is one of his most memorable moments.

July 2009

Christine Hague

A London Univeristy Mathematics graduate, Christine began her career in 1958 in a secondary school where she became Head of Department. She later moved to teach in two colleges of higher education as well as being an examiner for A level Applied Mathematics.

In the 1970'S Christine developed new approaches to teaching mathematics in primary school. In 1984 Christine was invited to be one of the first two "Rayner attachements" to Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Schools (HMI) to improve HMI understanding of institution-based activity.

On retirement from the Inspectorate in 1992 Christine became a consultant for Marjon quality assurance matters and then Assistant Principal and Head of Quality. She retired in 1998 an became a governer, serving as Chair on the Executive Committee and then Chair fo the University College Council. She finally fully retired in 2008 having given almost 50 years continous service.