Sir Thomas Percival Creed, KBE, MC, QC (29 January 1897 – 11 May 1969) was a lawyer and educationist.KDD Henderson: ''Creed, Sir Thomas Percival (1897–1969)'', rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2013 accessed 27 Feb 2013
/ref> He was Principal of

Queen Mary College , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, from 1952 to 1967 and

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

of the university from 1964 to 1967.

Early life and education

He was born in Leicester, son of Rev Colin Creed, curate of St Peter's Church, Braunstone, Leicester and later rector at

Farthinghoe Farthinghoe is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. It is located on the A422 road about north-west of Brackley and south-east of Banbury. The origin of the village's name is uncertain. Possibly, 'hill-spur of the dwe ...

South Northamptonshire South Northamptonshire was, from 1974 to 2021, a district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council was based in the town of Towcester, first established as a settlement in Roman Britain. The population of the Local Authority District Council in ...

. His mother was Etheldreda Wright Spackman daughter of a medical practitioner. From 1908 to 1915 he studied at

Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys was a grammar school in Leicester, England, in existence from 1876 to 1976. It was succeeded by the present-day Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College. History After William Wyggeston's death in 1536, his bro ...

in Leicester.

War service and university

In 1915 during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he joined the Artists Rifles, serving in France where he was wounded twice and won the MC in 1917. In 1919 he attended Pembroke College, Oxford obtaining a BA in 1922.

Career

After Oxford he joined the

Sudan political service Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ar, السودان الإنجليزي المصري ') was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt in the Sudans region of northern Africa between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day ...

, where he read for the bar. In 1926 he became a district judge and in 1928 was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn. In 1931 he was seconded to the

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

i and became a judge in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...

and held other positions in Kirkuk and

Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...

. In 1935 he returned to Sudan as a high court judge in

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

Chief Justice of Sudan The Chief Justice of Sudan is the head of the Judiciary of Sudan. Under Article 29.(3) of the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration, the Chief Justice is also the President of the Supreme Court of Sudan and is "responsible for administer ...

(1935–1941) and Legal Secretary from 1941 to 1948. He was awarded the

Order of the Nile The Order of the Nile (''Kiladat El Nil'') was established in 1915 and was one of the Kingdom of Egypt's principal orders until the monarchy was abolished in 1953. It was then reconstituted as the Republic of Egypt's highest state honor. Sultana ...

in 1939,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1943 and KBE in 1946. In 1948 he retired form Sudan and

took silk In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or a ...

, but decide to continue with a career in education. He became secretary of King's College London in 1948 and principal of

in 1952. From 1964 to 1967 he was vice-chancellor of London University. His time there was a period of expansion but he managed to ensure the continued federal structure of the university.

Personal life

In 1928 he married (Agnes) Margaret Brewis of St Helens, Merseyside, (then in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

). They had one son and two daughters. He died at his home in Allen Street, Kensington, west London.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creed, Thomas Percival Vice-Chancellors of the University of London People associated with Queen Mary University of London Alumni of Pembroke College, Oxford People associated with King's College London People educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys Knights Bachelor 1897 births 1969 deaths People from Blaby District Recipients of the Military Cross English King's Counsel English barristers 20th-century King's Counsel 20th-century English lawyers Sudan Political Service officers

Early life and education

War service and university

Career

Personal life

See also

References