
Arthur Lionel Smith (1850 – 12 April 1924) was a British
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
at the
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
. Smith served as
Master of
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world.
With a governing body of a master and aro ...
, from 1916 to 1924.
Early life
Smith was born in on 4 December 1850, the second son of the civil engineer William Henry Smith and his wife Alice Elizabeth Strutt, daughter of
Jacob Strutt and his wife
Elizabeth Byron.
His widowed mother placed Arthur in
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter, located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex.
T ...
at age six, before leaving the country.
He was a student at
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world.
With a governing body of a master and aro ...
from 1869 to 1874.
On graduating, Smith became a Fellow of
Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...
. In 1876, he entered
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...
. He was married in 1879.
Career
Smith left Trinity, and began to teach at Balliol, in 1879. He became a
Fellow
A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...
there in 1882. He was
Dean in 1907, and was
Master 1916–1924.
In October 1907 Smith paid a visit to
Ruskin College
Ruskin College, originally known as Ruskin Hall, Oxford, is a higher education institution and part of the University of West London, in Oxford, England. It is not a Colleges of the University of Oxford, college of Oxford University.
Named ...
on behalf of a group of some of his university colleagues. He broached the idea of bringing Ruskin closer to the University, suggesting that this would involve the University providing funds for the College, and allowing Ruskin College students to join the University. Although this was warmly received by a couple of students, the bulk asked him what the University wanted in return. When he was unable to give a clear reply, the bulk of the students – drawing on their experience as trade union negotiators – became suspicious that the proposal would lead to the erosion of the college's independence. These concerns were vindicated when following a visit from
Lord Curzon
George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...
where the proposal was repeated and
Dennis Hird, a lecturer in
Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
and
Logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...
responded informing Curzon that as far as the students were concerned Ruskin College was irrevocably part of the
Labour movement
The labour movement is the collective organisation of working people to further their shared political and economic interests. It consists of the trade union or labour union movement, as well as political parties of labour. It can be considere ...
, which they envisaged making great changes in society presently. It subsequently transpired that certain members of the Ruskin College had been planning to sack Hird and to alter the curriculum by replacing Sociology and Logic with literature and temperance.
Smith was important in developing
history
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
teaching.
He was a close friend of the pomologist
Ronald Hatton.
Personal life
In 1879, Smith married Mary Smith, with whom he had nine children.
They first lived at 7
Crick Road in
North Oxford until 1893. Their daughter Miriam married the diplomat Sir
Reader Bullard
Sir Reader William Bullard (5 December 1885 – 24 May 1976) was a British diplomat and author.
Education
Reader Bullard was born in Walthamstow, the son of Charles, a dock labourer, and Mary Bullard. He was educated at the Monoux School th ...
.
Smith's daughter Rosalind married Oxford historian
Edward Murray Wrong. His youngest daughter Barbara married Sir
Hugh Cairns the first Nuffield Professor of Surgery.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Arthur Lionel
1850 births
1924 deaths
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Fellows of Trinity College, Oxford
Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford
Masters of Balliol College, Oxford
19th-century British historians
20th-century British historians
Members of Lincoln's Inn
Historians of the University of Oxford