Why I Give

My starting point at the RGS was in 1952 at 11 years old. My family lived across the river in Low Fell. As it must have been for many new starters, it was quite an experience to come from a small local school and suddenly find yourself among hundreds of pupils of all ages, in an environment with imposing buildings and an extensive sports area.

In the 50s, you encountered boys; yes, it was entirely boys at that time, from Durham, South Shields, Tynemouth, Jarrow, Shotley Bridge, Blaydon, and a host of other places. The school certainly provided an output for self-expression in areas we had barely heard about, let alone had the opportunity in which to participate.

The sports programme throughout the school years was incomparable, slogging around the Town Moor being a major feature. One of the activities that really got us together was the School Camps held in Race Week. I went to Wensleydale and Littondale, and later, to a survey camp on the Isle of Eigg. Many of the teachers spent their holiday time supervising these camps, assisted by ONs. How invigorating the camps were, the long walks during the day to appreciate the beautiful countryside, and the camp fires in the evenings. Many of those boys are still close friends today and how priceless that is.

One of the most striking aspects of the school was the quality and dedication of the teachers. They were an extraordinary group of individuals whose teaching was stimulating and proficient. Not only were there core subjects, but we were fortunate in having options such as Woodwork, with Bill Elliot (52-88). We first made towel rails and then progressed to bookcases. One boy made a complete hash of a fine piece of wood: “What are you doing boy, wood doesn’t grow on trees you know!”

One of our Summer Holiday assignments in Geography under Laurence Meaken (31-74) was to carry out a survey of our home area. Three of us went around every company in the Low Fell Trading Estate: floor tiles, glass, carpets, engineering, Hunters the Bakers and De La Rue. It opened our eyes to the working world. In the last day or two of each term it was the tradition to do something recreational. Once,Colin Hunter (48-76) brought in his record player and put on some classical music for us to listen to; he was trying to get us to appreciate something he obviously loved himself. MG Robinson (34-72) our English Teacher was a master of benign sarcasm.

One day in class I was squinting through the window, lining up a tree with a lamppost. Suddenly, I was interrupted by MG saying, “Walker, would you kindly read us the second verse of the poem we are studying; of course, when you have finished your optical experiments!” Jimmy Herdman (22-66), French Teacher, used to vacation in Corsica in the Summer Holidays, and would tell us stories of the local life, transporting us to an exotic world. In the Sixth Form, I was fortunate to take Engineering Drawing under Colin Dales (50-84). I still have some of those drawings with three projections. Little did I know that designing things would be something I would still be doing 60 years later, the only difference being that I now use CAD software rather than a drawing board, pencil, compass, and protractors.

After the second year in the Sixth Form, I took the Cambridge University entrance exams which required staying for another term. Several teachers helped make it worthwhile: MG Robinson with Poetry lessons, Cecil Marfitt-Smith (32-70) teaching about Picasso and how to paint posters, and ‘Willy’ B Macro (36-62) teaching extra Maths.

I was accepted to Cambridge University to read Mechanical Sciences and still have the vision of going there for the very first time and seeing all those ancient college buildings. Even when I visit today, there is still a magic about it. After Cambridge, I spent three years as an Engineering Apprentice at George Angus (now Dunlop) on the Coast Road, then did a PhD at Leeds University on the Lubrication of Human Joints. I was then recruited by a Surgeon from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where I started designing artificial joints. After that I worked at other prominent institutions in the USA and England. My present and probably final job is Professor at New York University, with positions in Orthopaedics and Mechanical Engineering.

This year, I had the honour of receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the USA Knee Society. Looking back, the experience at the RGS provided a solid foundation for a Cambridge education and for my subsequent career. Last year, my wife Wuliang and I visited the RGS. Wuliang, who came from an academic background in Beijing, studied Molecular Biology, and worked at a research faculty at New York University was very impressed with the school.

For me, remembering what the RGS was like when I was there, the changes that had occurred seemed remarkably progressive. Wuliang and I are more than pleased to make a donation to the Bursary Campaign. We hope that our gift can support talented students of tomorrow to receive the type of education at RGS that I so much benefited from.

 

I provided some bursaries way back, indeed before the official launch of the Bursary Campaign. It’s not widely known because at the time I chose for my gift to be anonymous, but I don’t mind revealing this now if it encourages others to contribute.

Here’s how it came about.

I attended the first ON Newcastle dinner shortly after the Blair government scrapped the Assisted Places scheme, it was the first time I’d been back to the school since I left in 1970*. 

In his speech, the headmaster, James Miller, told us about how this decision would impact the RGS. He was very worried. A substantial proportion of the school intake benefited from that scheme, which enabled bright boys from poorer backgrounds to come to the school. I was shocked by the effect it would have not just on the school, but on the North East as a whole: RGS pupils made such an important contribution to life in the region at every level, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if only the children of the rich flowed through in the future. When I was at the RGS, it was a direct grant grammar school and without that support my parents could never have sent me there. Most of my friends from that time benefitted from grants too.

After the dinner, I took James aside and offered to provide bursaries for 3 boys for their entire 7 year schooling. In return, I had three conditions: my gifts would be anonymous; I wanted copies of all their school reports so I could see how they were getting on; finally, the RGS should establish a Bursary scheme with the aim of providing bursaries to at least 97 more children, making 100 in all. Funding would cease if the school failed to do this. James agreed. 

I still have some of their school reports. One even wrote me the sweetest thank-you note when he eventually left the school for a very good university (I don’t think he ever knew my name, but I treasure the letter).

I also have a letter from James dated October 2000, enclosing the boys’ reports, where he promised that “raising enough money for bursaries is going to be a major objective in the next few years”. The ON Bursary Campaign was launched after that.

*I was with two ON friends (neither of them were actually at school with me - between us we spanned 21 years at the RGS). On a whim, we had dared each other to go to the dinner — it was the first time back for all of us. We spent a wild weekend staying in the Copthorne (I know, ‘wild’ and ‘Copthorne’ are not frequently used in the same sentence), driving around our old haunts - getting misty eyed over the sight of the Long Pier at Tynemouth, the locations of our first trysts with reluctant girlfriends, — we behaved like naughty schoolboys. Paul Campbell was one of those friends, and the trip clearly had an effect on him, for he upped sticks from London and moved his family back to Northumberland, started a business in Gateshead and became an RGS governor. I stayed down south, went to Hollywood, and only returned to Newcastle ten years later (I’m back working in California now).