Anthony Edward Dyson
Encyclopedia
Anthony Edward Dyson, aka Tony Dyson (28 November 1928 - 30 July 2002) was a British
literary critic, university lecturer, educational activist and gay rights campaigner.
, his academic career began in 1955 when he was appointed Assistant Lecturer in English Literature at the University of North Wales, Bangor. From there, he went to the University of East Anglia
where he was later appointed Reader. He took early retirement in the 1980s.
Dyson single-handedly took the initiative in forming the Homosexual Law Reform Society
(HLRS) in May 1958. He had sent hundreds of letters to Members of Parliament
and celebrities asking for their support, successfully bringing together an impressive collection of distinguished names, including Noel Annan
, Lord Attlee
, A. J. Ayer
, Isaiah Berlin
, Trevor Huddleston
, Julian Huxley
, C. Day Lewis, J. B. Priestley
, Bertrand Russell
, Donald Soper
, A.J.P Taylor, Angus Wilson
and Barbara Wootton. The campaign began with a letter, signed by all these figures, published in The Times
on 7 March 1958, calling for the implementation of the Wolfenden Committee's recommendations that the law in relation to male homosexual relations be liberalised.
The same group of people simultaneously founded the Albany Trust
, the charitable arm of the HLRS, which became the pioneer national counselling agency for gay men and lesbians. Dyson was Vice-Chairman of the HLRS and a Trustee of the Albany Trust.
During this time he met Cliff Tucker
, a senior executive at British Petroleum and a Labour Party
councillor in inner London. They lived together for 35 years until Cliff Tucker's death, in 1993. Dyson followed Tucker's wishes and bequeathed the proceeds of their Hampstead
home to Tucker's alma mater, the University of Wales, Lampeter
. As a result, there is now a scholarship
and lecture theatre which bear Tucker's name, and a Fellowship in Poetry named for Dyson.
In 1959 Dyson, together with C.B. Cox, founded the literary journal Critical Quarterly, described in New Pelican Guide to English Literature as "probably the most influential English literary-critical journal in the academic field over the post-war decades".
As a literary critic, Dyson has published works on Shakespeare, Dickens, Samuel Coleridge Taylor and Sylvia Plath, among others.
In 1969 Dyson and Cox published the first of what became a series of five Black Papers
attacking "progressive" educational methods and the Labour government's policy of replacing grammar schools with comprehensive schools. This and subsequent Black Papers attracted considerable support, especially on the right of the political spectrum. However, they failed to stop the comprehensive schools movement.
Tony Dyson died in London in July 2002 after suffering from leukemia for several years.
The Papers of Tony Dyson and of his partner, Cliff Tucker, are housed at the University of Manchester John Rylands Library Special Collections. A further box of his papers is held at LSE Archives.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
literary critic, university lecturer, educational activist and gay rights campaigner.
Biography
Educated at Pembroke College, CambridgePembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, his academic career began in 1955 when he was appointed Assistant Lecturer in English Literature at the University of North Wales, Bangor. From there, he went to the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
where he was later appointed Reader. He took early retirement in the 1980s.
Dyson single-handedly took the initiative in forming the Homosexual Law Reform Society
Homosexual Law Reform Society
The Homosexual Law Reform Society was an organisation that campaigned in the United Kingdom for changes in the laws that criminalised homosexual relations between men.- History :...
(HLRS) in May 1958. He had sent hundreds of letters to Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and celebrities asking for their support, successfully bringing together an impressive collection of distinguished names, including Noel Annan
Noel Annan
Noel Gilroy Annan, Baron Annan, OBE was a British military intelligence officer, author, and academic. During his military career, he rose to the rank of Colonel and was appointed OBE...
, Lord Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
, A. J. Ayer
Alfred Ayer
Sir Alfred Jules "Freddie" Ayer was a British philosopher known for his promotion of logical positivism, particularly in his books Language, Truth, and Logic and The Problem of Knowledge ....
, Isaiah Berlin
Isaiah Berlin
Sir Isaiah Berlin OM, FBA was a British social and political theorist, philosopher and historian of ideas of Russian-Jewish origin, regarded as one of the leading thinkers of the twentieth century and a dominant liberal scholar of his generation...
, Trevor Huddleston
Trevor Huddleston
Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston CR, KCMG was an English Anglican bishop. He was most well known for his anti-apartheid activism and his 'Prayer for Africa'...
, Julian Huxley
Julian Huxley
Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS was an English evolutionary biologist, humanist and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century evolutionary synthesis...
, C. Day Lewis, J. B. Priestley
J. B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley, OM , known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster. He published 26 novels, notably The Good Companions , as well as numerous dramas such as An Inspector Calls...
, Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
, Donald Soper
Donald Soper
Donald Oliver Soper, Baron Soper was a prominent Methodist minister, socialist and pacifist.Soper was born at 36 Knoll Road, Wandsworth, London, the first son and first child of the three children of Ernest Frankham Soper , an average adjuster in marine insurance, the son of a tailor, and his...
, A.J.P Taylor, Angus Wilson
Angus Wilson
Sir Angus Frank Johnstone Wilson, CBE was an English novelist and short story writer. He was awarded the 1958 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for The Middle Age of Mrs Eliot and later received a knighthood for his services to literature.-Biography:Wilson was born in Bexhill, Sussex, England, to...
and Barbara Wootton. The campaign began with a letter, signed by all these figures, published in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
on 7 March 1958, calling for the implementation of the Wolfenden Committee's recommendations that the law in relation to male homosexual relations be liberalised.
The same group of people simultaneously founded the Albany Trust
Albany Trust
The Albany Trust was founded in the United Kingdom as a registered charity in May 1958 to complement the Homosexual Law Reform Society . It takes its name from The Albany, in Piccadilly, London, where J.B...
, the charitable arm of the HLRS, which became the pioneer national counselling agency for gay men and lesbians. Dyson was Vice-Chairman of the HLRS and a Trustee of the Albany Trust.
During this time he met Cliff Tucker
Cliff Tucker
Clifford Lewis Tucker was a British industrial relations executive, magistrate and politician.He was educated at Monmouth School and St David's College, Lampeter...
, a senior executive at British Petroleum and a Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillor in inner London. They lived together for 35 years until Cliff Tucker's death, in 1993. Dyson followed Tucker's wishes and bequeathed the proceeds of their Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
home to Tucker's alma mater, the University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
. As a result, there is now a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and lecture theatre which bear Tucker's name, and a Fellowship in Poetry named for Dyson.
In 1959 Dyson, together with C.B. Cox, founded the literary journal Critical Quarterly, described in New Pelican Guide to English Literature as "probably the most influential English literary-critical journal in the academic field over the post-war decades".
As a literary critic, Dyson has published works on Shakespeare, Dickens, Samuel Coleridge Taylor and Sylvia Plath, among others.
In 1969 Dyson and Cox published the first of what became a series of five Black Papers
Black Papers
The Black Papers were a series of pamphlets on education, their name being a contrast to government White Papers.According to the Critical Quarterly website the Black Papers were:...
attacking "progressive" educational methods and the Labour government's policy of replacing grammar schools with comprehensive schools. This and subsequent Black Papers attracted considerable support, especially on the right of the political spectrum. However, they failed to stop the comprehensive schools movement.
Tony Dyson died in London in July 2002 after suffering from leukemia for several years.
The Papers of Tony Dyson and of his partner, Cliff Tucker, are housed at the University of Manchester John Rylands Library Special Collections. A further box of his papers is held at LSE Archives.