Michael McCrum, who many of you will remember as Headmaster of Tonbridge before going on to be Head Master of Eton, died suddenly at home on Wednesday 16th February at the age of 80. There will be a Memorial Service for him in Cambridge on a date to be announced.
He was a most influential Headmaster here from 1962 to 1970, when he was appointed to the Eton headship. He was Head of Eton for 10 years and then Master of Corpus Christi for 14 years.
The following obituary written by Jonathan Smith appeared in The Times
Throughout Michael McCrum's long career as a schoolmaster, don, headmaster, master and vice-chancellor, he was intensely loyal to the institutions he served. That he was able to run, and sometimes to reform, those places as effectively as he did was partly because he drove himself so hard and partly because he saw the big picture, but mainly because he loved them so much.
A man of considerable principle and deep Christian faith - tall and straight backed, if at first sight somewhat daunting - McCrum earned the lasting respect of colleagues and pupils for his achievements, a respect that often deepened into warm affection. When the histories come to be written of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, of Tonbridge School and of Eton College, he will surely receive his full, and overdue, credit.The third son of Captain C R McCrum, RN, Michael William McCrum was born in 1924 into a naval family of Northern Irish origin. From Sherborne he won a scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. But it was the middle of the war and he was called up in to the RNVR. As a sub-lieutenant he served on Arctic convoys; later, he was only four days away from Japan in 1945 when the atomic bomb exploded.
In 1946 he went up to Corpus, where he established himself as a man who enjoyed a very good party, and more importantly he took a double first with distinction in classics. After graduating he went as an assistant master to Rugby School. He was at Rugby for two years before returning to Cambridge; it was at Rugby that he met Christine fforde, the headmaster's daughter and the love of his life.
After two years, aged 26, McCrum was now back at Corpus and playing a shaping role as tutor (in effect senior tutor), with the daily pattern which was to distinguish every stage of his career.
A brilliant administrator, who thought in a fearless and challenging way, he took infinite pains over the welfare of the undergraduates, over academic standards and the admissions procedures. He had a marvellous memory, he answered every letter promptly, he ran committees with brisk skill, concentrating hard on his goals - and he enjoyed it. And if he didn't always enjoy it, he got on with it. It wasn't just that he was accomplished and clever. He grafted. Do it, he said to himself, do it now.
It was evident from these early days that McCrum liked running things, and that he ran them well. But he also cared about every person and every aspect of college life. He had what would now be called a strong and developed corporate sense, knowing how important that was in pulling together and sustaining any community. This was perhaps best exemplified by his vision for Leckhampton, the graduate part of Corpus, in which he played a pioneering role.
In 1962, in a move that surprised some of his friends, Michael was appointed Headmaster of Tonbridge School. Though only 38, he rose to the challenge - and took the school apart. The pace he set was compelling. A stickler on the small things, eg. punctuality and punctuation, he also confronted the big issues: the quality of the intake, the quality ot the lessons, the economic health and the future direction of the school. It was clear what he wanted. He wanted more ambition and more excellence.
He also took on the housemastership of School House because he felt that he needed to learn on the job, and to see what he was asking others to do. "Never have there been so many changes in so short a time," the school magazine complained, but the new headmaster had privately and patiently done his work. He had made strong appointments, he had set the standard, and won the loyalty of his key staff.
As at Corpus, and as later at Eton, far from being just a support, Christine was an essential part of their work. And if McCrum asked a lot of those around him he asked even more of himself. He was not interested in popularity; he was interested in making schools and colleges better places. In eight years he not only transformed Tonbridge, he also took it to a different level.
As Head Master of Eton, 1970-80, he showed these formidable qualities even more fully: the same man, yet more rigorous and at the height of his powers. He restored discipline and confidence; he made a significant shift in how the entry worked, making access more open, and he gave a big push to Eton's rise to the academic standing it now enjoys.
And to those who were in any doubt he made it clear that he hated apathy and had no time for elegant laziness. While he scrupulously respected and valued the school's history and traditions, he was changing Eton decisively. No head master asked harder questions or cut more quickly through guff.
As at Tonbridge, McCrum picked good men but he did not drive things through come what may. In all he did at Eton he was backed by people who recognised the essential humanity beneath the reformer's controlled exterior, glimpsing the softer, more sensitive side well known to his family.
Outside Eton, McCrum decided to play a larger role on the national stage. As well as being chairman of the Headmasters' Conference in 1974, he joined in the national educational debate. He strongly defended the independent sector when it was unfashionable to do so, while at the same time organising regular exchanges between Eton and comprehensive schools.
To have been so successful a head in the 1960s and 1970s - two most demanding decades in education - says a great deal about McCrum's tenacity, ability and moral courage. And it was right that in 1980, as the script seemed to demand, he and Christine should return to Corpus, this time to the Master's Lodge. He was back where his heart was, back in the college and the university he knew inside out.
His 14 years as Master of Corpus proved to be a very good spell: the college's academic reputation remained at a high throughout his time; McCrum oversaw the admission of women to the college as fellows and as undergraduates; he was a tireless and successful fundraiser,; and whether at high table or in the lodge, he and Christine took great trouble with fellows and guests, with undergraduates and staff. Nothing was too much, and they enjoyed it all, the formal evenings as well as the fun and games.
As a far-sighted Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge at a most difficult time (1987-89) McCrum perceived what needed to be done to bring the university towards the 21st century while also retaining its independence, but the tenure of office (two years in those days) was not long enough to bring it into effect.
In 1996 he was appointed CBE for his work as chairman of the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England.
Michael McCrum relished all the challenges he faced and he made a deep and enduring impact on many people. He was a loving husband and father. His family, his faith, his college and his schools: these were the landmarks of a dedicated and distinguished life.
He is survived by Christine and by their daughter and three sons.
Michael McCrum, CBE, Head Master of Tonbridge School 1962-70, Head Master of Eton, 1970-1980, and Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, 1980-94, was born on May 23, 1924. He died on February 16, 2005, aged 80.
Copy and paste the link below into your browser
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/23/db2302.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/02/23/ixportal.html
23.2.2005