OBITUARY - Frank Lepper

The Times
October 28, 2005

OBITUARY - Frank Lepper
-----------------------
May 24, 1913 - September 7, 2005

Oxford classicist of quiet distinction who gave unstinting service to his 
college and his pupils for more than forty years

AS A DON of ancient history at the University of Oxford, Frank Lepper 
exercised an important influence on his pupils and his college, Corpus 
Christi, for four decades.

Born in Oxford in a family with roots in Northern Ireland, Francis (Frank) 
Alfred Lepper was educated at Marlborough and New College. He came to 
Corpus Christi as a lecturer in ancient history in 1937, and was elected 
to a fellowship in 1939.

During the war he worked at Bletchley Park on projects which he never 
disclosed. From 1949 until his retirement and election to an emeritus 
fellowship in 1980 he was Fellow and tutor in ancient history, a branch of 
the subject which was then the largest in the college and in which the 
college was among the strongest in the university - classics.

Although Lepper discharged the duties of college office with quiet 
distinction, serving variously as dean (1946-51), senior tutor (1952-62 
and 1966-67), vice-president (1953-55, 1973-75 and 1978-80), it was as a 
tutor that his contributions were outstanding. His combination of learning 
lightly worn, sensitivity, patience and humour well fitted him to guide 
his many gifted pupils and also those whose less scholarly interest he 
knew how to excite..../snip/

Frank Lepper, scholar and teacher, was born on May 24, 1913. He died on 
September 7, 2005, aged 92.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-1845982,00.html


The Times
November 02, 2005

Lives Remembered
----------------

Dr Joan Thirsk writes: I can tell you what Frank Lepper (obituary, October 
28) was doing at Bletchley Park because I sat opposite him for some two 
years and more until the war ended. We were in the Fusion Room in Block D, 
analysing messages passing between German Luftwaffe units, after they had 
been decrypted and acted upon. By careful scrutiny of all signals traffic, 
we built up the bigger picture as the war proceeded in Italy, Yugoslavia, 
and later in France. None of us gossiped much for we all toiled 
diligently. Frank was a very private person, but I have always remembered 
my quiet, genial colleague.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,174-1569314_3,00.html