John Henry Brookes

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John Henry Brookes

Born(1891-01-31)31 January 1891[1]
Northampton, England
Died29 September 1975(1975-09-29) (aged 84)
Oxford, England
EducationOxford City School of Arts and Crafts
Occupation(s)Artist, craftsman, illustrator, author, educator, administrator and academic principal
Known forFounding Oxford Brookes University, artist, writer and scholar

John Henry Brookes OBE (31 January 1891 – 29 September 1975) was an English craftsman, artist and educator associated with the predecessor institutions of Oxford Brookes University, which is named in his honour.

Biography

Brookes was born in Northampton, England. His father was head of the Boot and Shoe Department of Leicester College of Technology.

Brookes trained in silversmithing at the Chipping Campden Guild of Handicrafts. He was an accomplished artist but became both an inspirational teacher and accomplished administrator. In 1922, he was appointed as a part-time teacher of sculpture in the Oxford City School of Arts and Crafts.

In 1934, the technical and art schools were merged as the Schools of Technology Art and Commerce. John Henry Brookes was the first principal. There were ten full-time staff and 1,284 students. By 1946, the schools were in 19 sites around the city and John Henry Brookes had of necessity become an accomplished cyclist.

With the spread of the schools around the town there was a great desire to move them all onto one site.

Lord Nuffield
.

Brookes encouraged printing as a discipline in the college and also had many of his own drawings published. For many years his pen and ink drawings were a regular feature of the

Oxford Times
.

He was very much involved in the Oxford community and was on many committees especially those concerned with young people. He was a magistrate for many years and when he retired from the college he became one of the directors of the Oxford Playhouse.

Built on his solid foundations, the Schools of Technology Art and Commerce evolved into Oxford College of Technology,

Oxford Polytechnic and, finally, into Oxford Brookes University
.

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Jane Curran (23 September 2009). "Oxford Brookes: What's in a name?". BBC Oxford. Retrieved 15 August 2015.

External links