Martin Wakefield JACOMB

Background

JACOMB, Martin was born on November 11, 1929 in Chiddingfold, Surrey. Son of Felise Jacomb and Hilary W. Jacomb.

Education

Student, Eton College, England. Master of Arts in Law, Oxford University, 1953. Doctorate (honorary), University Humberside, 1993.

Doctorate (honorary), University Buckingham, 1997. Doctorate (honorary), Oxford University, 1997.

Career

He was called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1955 and practised as a barrister until 1968 before embarking upon a successful career in business. In 1986 he described insider trading as a "victimless crime"

In 1998 he was appointed the third Chancellor of the University of Buckingham in succession to The Baron Hailsham of Street Marylebone, Knight of the Order of the Garter, Companies of Honour, Personal Computer, Queen's Counsel and The Baroness Thatcher, LG, Member of the Order of Merit, Personal Computer. He was installed in 1999. According to the University of Buckingham, which is Britain"s only private university, "He is a strong believer in the need for universities to be independent of the government".

He has written that if universities are "to nurture genuinely free and creative academic research" and "be the guardians of liberty which a free society needs" they must be independent of government funding.

He has written that the University of Oxford should become private in order to avoid an authoritarian government imposing restrictions on admissions. Further, the university"s academics will only be able to challenge prevailing opinion if they are independent of government funding.

Dependence on government funding, he continues, has had disastrous effects on the higher education sector in continental Europe. Jacomb retired from the chancellorship in March 2010.

He is succeeded by Lord Tanlaw, who is the University"s fourth chancellor.

List of articles in The Spectator

List of articles in Financial Times.

Achievements

• Martin Jacomb has been listed as a noteworthy banker by Marquis Who's Who.

Membership

Director The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1987-1992. Member finance committee Oxford University Press, 1971-1995. Trustee National Heritage Memorial Fund, 1982-1997, World Monuments Fund, since 1999.

Chancellor University Buckingham, since 1998. Member Inner Temple (honorary master of the bench 1987).

Interests

• Avocations: theater, family bridge, tennis.

Connections

Married Evelyn Heathcoat Amory, 1960. Children: Emma, Matthew, Thomas.

Father:

Hilary W.

Mother:

Felise Jacomb

Spouse:

Evelyn Heathcoat Amory

child:

Thomas Jacomb

child:

Matthew Jacomb

child:

Emma Jacomb