Bond, Baking, Buildings & BBC in Roll Call of Honorary Graduates Announced by University of Warwick
The University of Warwick has announced today, Monday 17th of December, that it is to award honorary degrees to a Warwickshire based actor who has ranged from James Bond to Jackanory, a South African chef and novelist, a famous architect, and a former head of the National Trust, in its winter degree ceremonies on 22nd – 24th January 2013. Short biographies on the four people to be honoured now follow and more details on press opportunities for each of them will be given nearer the time.
Earl Cameron |
Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon DLitt) |
Born in Bermuda and now living in Kenilworth in Warwickshire, Earl first arrived in the UK in London on the eve of the Second World War, while working for the Merchant Navy. His acting career began in the 1940s with a number of stage roles including playing alongside Patrick McGoohan in a tour of the play Deep are the Roots which included a visit to Coventry. He became one of the first black actors to break the unofficial "colour bar" in the UK on film and TV, beginning with his breakthrough film acting role in Pool of London, a 1951 film set in post-war London involving racial prejudice, romance and a diamond robbery. Since then he has had major parts in many films, including the James Bond movie Thunderball (1965), in which he played Bond's Caribbean assistant Pinder Romania. Most recently his film roles include Inception (2010), The Interpreter (2005), and The Queen (2006), where he worked alongside Helen Mirren.
Earl has also appeared on a range of popular television shows including Danger Man, The Prisoner, Jackanory, Doctor Who, Dixon of Dock Green, Crown Court, Lovejoy, Waking the Dead, Kavanagh QC, EastEnders and many more.
In 2009 Earl was awarded a CBE for his services to drama and The Earl Cameron Theatre in Hamilton, Bermuda, was named in his honour at a ceremony he attended there on 5 December 2012.
- More information on Earl Cameron from a BBC article on the 40th anniversary of The Prisoner.
Dame Fiona Reynolds |
Honorary Doctor of Science (Hon DSc) |
Dame Fiona Reynolds is Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Dame Fiona was Director-General of the National Trust from 2001 until 2012. During her time at the National Trust, its membership grew from 2.7 million to 4 million. Over the same period, turnover increased from £199 million to more than £420 million.
Previously she had served as the Director of the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office, Director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England and Secretary to the Council for National Parks.
She was awarded the CBE for services to the environment and conservation in 1998, Dame Fiona was then appointed a DBE in 2008.
- More information on Dame Fiona Reynolds from the BBC website.
Prue Leith |
Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon DLitt) |
Prue Leith is a novelist who has also been a food writer, television presenter, cook, caterer, teacher, businesswoman, journalist and charity worker.
Born in South Africa, Prue has spent most of her working life in London, where she set up a hugely successful catering business. She also opened a restaurant and wrote several cook books before taking up roles as cooking correspondent or columnist in the the Daily Mail, Sunday Express and the Guardian, and setting up two chef schools.
Prue’s first novel was published in 2005. She now has five novels to her name, as well as her autobiography and her many cook books.
Prue chaired the School Food Trust from November 2006 until January 2010, helping transform school meals. She has also been a judge on the BBC television programme Great British Menu since its inception in 2006.
Prue’s honours include an OBE, awarded in 1989, the Veuve Cliquot Business Woman of the Year award, which she received in 1990, and a CBE, awarded in 2010.
- More information on Prue Leith's website.
Sir David Chipperfield |
Honorary Doctor of Science (Hon DSc) |
Sir David Chipperfield studied at Kingston School of Art and the Architectural Association in London. After graduating he worked at the practices of Douglas Stephen, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster.
He established David Chipperfield Architects in 1984 and the practice currently has over 180 staff at its offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. The practice has won over 50 national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence, including RIBA, RFAC and AIA awards and the RIBA Stirling Prize 2007.
In 1993 Sir David was awarded the Andrea Palladio Prize and in 1999, the Heinrich Tessenow Gold Medal. In 2004 he was made an Honorary Member of the Florence Academy of Art and Design, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to architecture. He was appointed Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2006, and in 2007 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and an Honorary Member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten (BDA). He was elected a Royal Academician (RA) in 2008 and In 2009 he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2010 he was named Knight Bachelor for services to architecture in the UK and Germany. He was awarded the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2010 and the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2011.
Update Jan 2013 Sir David Chipperfield will now receive his Honorary degree at a later date to be announced
- More information on David Chipperfield's website.
Further Information
For further information please contact:
Peter Dunn, email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk
Head of Communications, Communications Office, University House, University of Warwick,
Tel: +44(0)24 76 523708 Mobile/Cell +44(0)7767 655860
PR222 17th December 2012