Robert Walter Steel CBE (31 July 1915 – 29 December 1997) was a British geographer, who was Professor of Geography at Liverpool University from 1957 to 1974 and Principal of the University College of Swansea from 1974 to 1982.
Life
He was born in Reading, United Kingdom. Son of Rev Frederick Grabham and Winifred Barry (Harrison) Steel. He was the eldest of four children.
Steel was educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School and the Cambridge and County High School for Boys. He then attended Jesus College, Oxford, matriculating in 1934, obtaining a first-class degree in 1937.
He was a lecturer in Geography at the University of Oxford from 1939 to 1956, serving in the Naval Intelligence Division of the Admiralty from 1940 to 1945. He was associated with two Oxford colleges: firstly at St Peter's Hall as a lecturer from 1951 to 1956 and then Jesus College as a Fellow from 1954 to 1956. He was then appointed John Rankin Professor of Geography at Liverpool University in 1957 and held this post until 1974. He thereafter became Principal of the University College of Swansea (1974–1982) and also served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales from 1979 to 1981. He was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College in 1982 and appointed CBE in 1983.
References
- ^ "Steel, Prof. Robert Walter". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. December 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2008.
- De'Ath, John (1998–1999). "Fellows' News". The Jesus College Record: 12.
- Clarke, Colin (1998–1999). "Professor Robert W Steel CBE 1915–97". The Jesus College Record: 17–20.
- 1915 births
- 1997 deaths
- Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford
- Fellows of St Peter's College, Oxford
- Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford
- Academics of the University of Liverpool
- Academics of Swansea University
- British geographers
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- People educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School
- Historians of geography
- 20th-century British geographers