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MS Herald of Free Enterprise

MS Herald of Free Enterprise was a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry which capsized moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on the night of 6 March 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew.

The eight-deck car and passenger ferry was owned by Townsend Thoresen, designed for rapid loading and unloading on the competitive cross-channel route between Dover and Calais. As was common at the time, it was built with no watertight compartments. The ship left harbour with her bow door open, and the sea immediately flooded the decks; within minutes, she was lying on her side in shallow water. The immediate cause of the capsizing was found to be negligence by the assistant boatswain, who was asleep in his cabin when he should have been closing the bow door. However, the official inquiry placed more blame on his supervisors and a general culture of poor communication in Townsend Thoresen. The vessel was salvaged, put up for sale, and sold to Naviera SA Kingstown on 30 September 1987, renamed Flushing Range. It was taken to Taiwan on 22 March 1988 to be scrapped.

Since the disaster, improvements have been made to the design of RORO vessels, with watertight ramps, indicators showing the position of the bow doors, and banning of undivided decks.

Design and construction
In the late 1970s, Townsend Thoresen commissioned the design and construction of three new identical ships for its Dover–Calais route for delivery from 1980. The ships were branded the Spirit-class, and were named: Spirit of Free Enterprise, Herald of Free Enterprise, and Pride of Free Enterprise. The name "Free Enterprise" dates from Townsend Car Ferries' pioneering private sector roll-on/roll-off ferries, introduced in 1962. Herald of Free Enterprise began active service on 29 May 1980.

To remain competitive with other ferry operators on the route, Townsend Thoresen required ships designed to permit fast loading and unloading and quick acceleration. The ships comprised eight decks numbered A to H from top to bottom, which contained the following:
 * A-deck: crew accommodation and radio room
 * Half deck (between A and B decks) wheelhouse (bridge)
 * B-deck: passenger areas, crew accommodation and galley
 * C-deck: passenger areas and galley
 * D-deck: suspended vehicle deck within E deck
 * E-deck: upper vehicle deck
 * F-deck: crew accommodation (port and starboard)
 * G-deck: main vehicle deck
 * H-deck: engine rooms, stores and passenger accommodation at the forward end.

Loading of vehicles onto G deck was through watertight doors at the bow and stern. The wheelhouse was positioned at the forward end, and the ship had clam shell doors rather than raising a visor door, making it difficult to see the bow doors. Loading of vehicles onto E deck and D deck was through a weathertight door at the bow and an open portal at the stern. Vehicles could be loaded and unloaded onto E and G decks simultaneously, using double-deck linkspans at Dover and Calais.

The ships were constructed by Schichau-Unterweser AG in Bremerhaven, Germany. Propulsive power was by means of three 8000 bhp 12-cylinder Sulzer medium-speed diesel engines driving variable-pitch propellers. The vehicle deck bow doors were constructed by Cargospeed, Glasgow, Scotland.

Background
On the day the ferry capsized, Herald of Free Enterprise was working the route between Dover and the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. This was not her normal route and the linkspan at Zeebrugge had not been designed specifically for the Spirit-class vessels: it used a single deck, preventing the simultaneous loading of both E and G decks, and the ramp could not be raised high enough to reach E deck. To compensate for this, the vessel's bow ballast tanks were filled. The ship's natural trim was not restored after loading. Had Herald of Free Enterprise survived, she would have been modified to remove the need for this procedure.

It was normal practice for the assistant boatswain to close the doors before moorings were dropped. However, the assistant boatswain, Mark Stanley, had returned to his cabin for a short break after cleaning the car deck upon arrival, and was still asleep when the harbour-stations call sounded and the ship dropped her moorings. The first officer, Leslie Sabel, was required to stay on deck to make sure the doors were closed. Sabel said he thought he saw Stanley approaching. He was seriously injured in the disaster and the court concluded that his evidence was inaccurate. It is believed that, under pressure to get to his harbour station on the bridge, he had left G deck with the bow doors open in the expectation that Stanley would arrive shortly.

The court also described the attitude of boatswain Terence Ayling, believed to have been the last person on G deck. Asked why he did not close the doors given there was no one else there to do it, he said it was not his duty. The court nevertheless praised his work in the rescue.

Captain David Lewry assumed that the doors had been closed since he could not see them from the wheelhouse owing to the ship's design, and had no indicator lights in the wheelhouse.

Capsizing
The ship left her berth in Zeebrugge inner harbour at 18:05 (GMT) with a crew of 80 and carrying 459 passengers, 81 cars, three buses and 47 trucks. She passed the outer mole at 18:24 (GMT) and capsized about four minutes later. When the ferry reached 18.9 kn 90 seconds after leaving the harbour, water began to enter the car deck in large quantities. The resulting free surface effect destroyed her stability. In a matter of seconds, the ship began to list 30 degrees to port. The ship briefly righted herself before listing to port once more, this time capsizing. The entire event took place within 90 seconds. The water quickly reached the ship's electrical systems, destroying both main and emergency power and leaving the ship in darkness. The ship ended up on her side half-submerged in shallow water 1 km from the shore. Only a fortuitous turn to starboard in her last moments, and then capsizing on a sandbar, prevented the ship from sinking entirely in much deeper water.

Crew aboard a nearby dredger noticed Herald of Free Enterprise's lights disappear, and notified the port authorities. They also reported that the bow doors appeared to be wide open. The alarm was raised at 18:37 (GMT). Rescue helicopters were quickly dispatched, shortly followed by assistance from the Belgian Navy, which was undertaking an exercise in the area. , the German captain of a nearby ferry (M/V Gabriele Wehr), was commended by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and received a medal from King Baudouin of Belgium for his heroic efforts in rescuing passengers.

The disaster resulted in the deaths of 193 people. Many of those on board had taken advantage of a promotion in The Sun newspaper offering cheap trips to the continent. Most of the victims were trapped inside the ship and succumbed to hypothermia because of the frigid water. The rescue efforts of the Belgian Navy and Royal Navy divers limited the death toll. Recoverable bodies were removed in the days following the accident. During the rescue the tide started to rise and the rescue team was forced to stop all efforts until morning. The last of the people left on board died of hypothermia.

Investigation and inquiry
A public Court of Inquiry into the incident was held under British Mr Justice Sheen in 1987. It found the capsizing was caused by three main factors—Stanley's failure to close the bow doors, Sabel's failure to make sure the bow doors were closed, and Lewry leaving port without knowing whether the bow doors were closed. While the court determined the immediate cause of the capsizing was Stanley's failure to close the bow doors, it was very critical of Sabel for not being in a position to prevent the disaster, calling his actions "the most immediate" cause of the capsizing.

The fact that Stanley was asleep at the time of departure led Sheen to examine the working practices of Townsend Thoresen, from which he concluded that the poor workplace communication and stand-off relationship between ship operators and shore-based managers was the root cause of the capsizing, and identified a "disease of sloppiness" and negligence at every level of the corporation's hierarchy. Issues relating to the breaking of waves high on the bow doors while under way and requests to have an indicator installed on the bridge showing the position of the doors were dismissed; the former because of the attitude that ships' masters would come and "bang on the desk" if an issue was truly important, and the latter because it was thought frivolous to spend money on equipment to indicate if employees had failed to do their job correctly.

The design of Herald of Free Enterprise was also found to be a contributory cause of the capsizing. Unlike other ships, which are subdivided into watertight compartments, the vehicle decks of RORO vessels are normally contiguous: any flooding on these decks would allow the water to flow the length of the ship. This issue had been identified as early as 1980, following the losses of MV Seaspeed Dora and MV Hero in June and November 1977 respectively. The need to adjust the ship's bow trim to use the port facilities at Zeebrugge and failure to readjust before departure was another factor in the capsizing.

In October 1983, Herald of Free Enterprise's sister ship Pride of Free Enterprise had sailed from Dover to Zeebrugge with the bow doors open, after her assistant boatswain fell asleep. It was therefore believed that leaving the bow doors open alone should not have caused the ship to capsize. However, tests by the Danish Maritime Institute after the accident found that once water began to enter the vehicle deck of a RORO, it was likely that the vessel would capsize within 30 minutes, while other tests showed that the lack of watertight subdivision (which was common on other vessels) allowed the weight of water to flow freely and increase the likelihood of capsizing.

Another factor that contributed to the capsizing was the "squat effect". When a vessel is under way, the movement under it creates low pressure, which has the effect of increasing the vessel's draught. In deep water the effect is small but in shallow water it is greater, because as the water passes underneath it moves faster and causes the draught to increase. This reduced the clearance between the bow doors and water line to between 1.5 and 1.9 m. After extensive tests, the investigators found that when the ship travelled at a speed of 18 kn, the wave was enough to engulf the bow doors. This caused a "step change": if the ship had been sailing at less than 18 knots and not in shallow water, people on the car deck would probably have had time to notice the bow doors were open and close them.

Inquest
In October 1987, a coroner's inquest jury into the capsizing returned 187 verdicts of unlawful killing. Seven people involved at the company were charged with gross negligence manslaughter, and the operating company, P&O European Ferries (Dover) Ltd, was charged with corporate manslaughter, but the case collapsed after Mr Justice Turner directed the jury to acquit the company and the five most senior individual defendants. This was because the various acts of negligence could not be attributed to any individual who was a so-called "controlling mind". It did, however, set a precedent that corporate manslaughter is an offence known to the law of England and Wales. The disaster was one of a number that influenced thinking leading to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Immediate
A salvage operation, conducted by Dutch company Smit-Tak Towage and Salvage (part of Smit International), was embarked upon almost immediately to refloat the ship. The operation included parbuckling and was successfully concluded in late April 1987, allowing the remaining bodies trapped underwater to be removed. The ship was towed to Zeebrugge, and then across the Western Scheldt to the yard of De Schelde in Vlissingen (Flushing, Netherlands), where her fate was decided. It had originally been assumed that she could be repaired and continue sailing. However, no buyer was found; she was sold to Compania Naviera SA of Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, for scrapping. She was renamed Flushing Range and the Townsend Thoresen branding painted over before her final sailing to a scrapyard at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She began her final voyage on 5 October 1987, together with MV Gaelic, towed by the Dutch tug Markusturm. The voyage was interrupted for four days when the ships encountered the Great Storm of 1987 off Cape Finisterre, where Herald of Free Enterprise was cast adrift after its tow rope parted, resuming on 19 October 1987. The hull began to disintegrate while off the coast of South Africa on 27 December 1987, and had to be towed into Port Elizabeth on 2 January 1988 to undergo temporary repairs to allow her to continue her voyage. She finally arrived in Taiwan on 22 March 1988.

The Townsend Thoresen brand name had inevitably been seen on television and in newspapers around the world. P&O, who had only just taken over TT before the disaster, quickly decided to re-brand the company as P&O European Ferries, repaint the fleet's red hulls in navy blue and remove the TT logo from the funnels.

Long-term
The capsizing of Herald of Free Enterprise caused the highest death count of any peacetime maritime disaster involving a British ship since the sinking of HMY Iolaire on 1 January 1919 near Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, when at least 205 perished of the 280 aboard.

Since the accident, several improvements to the design of this type of vessel have been made. These include indicators on the bridge that display the state of the bow doors, watertight ramps being fitted to the bow sections of the front of the ship, and "freeing flaps" to allow water to escape from a vehicle deck in the event of flooding. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea regulations were changed in 1990 to require 125 cm of freeboard (in the case of RORO vessels, defined as the height between the vehicle deck and the water line) for all new ROROs, instead of the previous 76 cm. Some vessels omit the bow door configuration altogether and vehicles enter and exit from rear doors only. New International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations are in place that prohibit an open (undivided) deck of this length on a passenger RORO vessel. The capsizing of the ship is used as a standard example of the free surface effect in manuals of seamanship dealing with stability.

Both of Herald of Free Enterprise's two sister ships have since been withdrawn from service. The former Spirit of Free Enterprise was extended to increase her cargo capacity during her time under the P&O flag in a stretch and total rebuild operation and scrapped in 2012. Pride of Free Enterprise remained more or less as built, being scrapped in 2015.

In the UK, an ensemble group named Ferry Aid released a charity record of the song "Let It Be" by the Beatles.

Nicholas Ridley, a government minister at the time, was criticised for alluding to the accident (while speaking on another subject) on 10 March 1987. He was quoted as saying that "although he is the pilot of the [parliamentary] Bill, he has not got his bow doors open". He apologised for the remark.

The disaster was the subject of an episode from Series 2 of Seconds From Disaster.

The disaster was also featured in an episode of Deadly Engineering (Season 1, Episode 5) on the Science Channel.

On 1 July 2014, The History Press released a book called Ninety Seconds at Zeebrugge: The Herald of Free Enterprise Story (ISBN 9780752497839), telling the story of the disaster and its aftermath. A second edition, updated to reflect the thirtieth anniversary, was released on 1 March 2018 (ISBN 978-0750985819). St Mary's Church, Dover houses a permanent memorial to the disaster. In the village of St Margaret's at Cliffe, there is a stained-glass window dedicated to Bob Crone, Bryan Eades and Graham Evans, three of the crewmen who died during the disaster.

Disaster Action
Australian businessman Maurice de Rohan, who lost his daughter and son-in-law in the tragedy, founded Disaster Action, a charity which assists people affected by similar events.

Gallantry awards
The following British awards for gallantry on the night of the capsizing were gazetted on 30 December 1987, alongside the 1988 New Year Honours:
 * Herald of Free Enterprise crew
 * Michael Ian Skippen, Head Waiter, George Medal (posthumous)
 * Leigh Cornelius, Seaman, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Stephen Robert Homewood, Assistant Purser, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * William Sean Walker, Seaman, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Thomas Hume Wilson, Quartermaster, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Herald of Free Enterprise passenger
 * Andrew Clifford Parker, Assistant Bank Manager, Nippon Credit International, George Medal
 * Belgian Navy
 * Lieutenant-Ter-Zee 1ste Klas Guido A. Couwenbergh, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Lieutenant-Ter-Zee 1ste Klas Alfons M. A. C. Daems, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Royal Navy
 * Lieutenant Simon Nicholas Bound, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Able Seaman Eamon Christopher McKinley Fullen, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Chief Petty Officer Edward Gene Kerr, Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
 * Chief Petty Officer Peter Frank Still, Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
 * Tijdelijke Vereniging Bergingswerken
 * Piet Lagast, Diver, Queen's Gallantry Medal
 * Dirk van Mullem, Diver, Queen's Gallantry Medal

title: MS Herald of Free Enterprise


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Andrew Rowe

Andrew John Bernard Rowe (11 September 1935 – 21 November 2008) was a politician in the United Kingdom. He was born in London. He served as Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Mid Kent from 1983 to 1997 and its successor constituency Faversham and Mid Kent from 1997 until he stepped down in 2001. He was replaced by Hugh Robertson.

He was educated at Eton College and Merton College, Oxford (MA).

He was the father of actor Nicholas Rowe. He was also the founding Father of the UK Youth Parliament.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Andrew Rowe


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Alasdair Morgan

Alasdair Neil Morgan (born 21 April 1945) is a former Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party from 1990 to 1991 and served in the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale from 1997 to 2001. He was elected in 1999 as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale. From 2003 to 2011, he served as a member for the South of Scotland region.

Morgan was a Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2007 to 2011. He was an Electoral Commissioner from 2014 to 2022.

Early life and career
Morgan was born in Aberfeldy and was educated at Breadalbane Academy and the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1968 with a MA Honours degree in Mathematics and Political economy. From 1971 to 1974 he worked as a Teacher of Mathematics at Linlithgow Academy and subsequently Douglas Ewart High School. He graduated from the Open University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990.

He was employed as a Software Programmer at Shell from 1974 to 1980, then as a Systems Analyst with General Electric from 1980 to 1984. He then worked as a Computer Systems Team Leader at Fife Regional Council (1984–1986), Lothian Regional Council (1986–1996) and West Lothian Council (1996–1997).

Political career
Morgan joined the Scottish National Party in 1974. He served as SNP National Treasurer from 1983 to 1990, when he was elected Senior Vice Convener (depute leader) at the same election that saw Alex Salmond first elected as Leader of the Scottish National Party. Morgan was defeated by Jim Sillars in the depute leadership election the following year, but served as National Secretary from 1992 to 1997. During that same year, he was elected as one of the SNP's vice presidents; an office he held until these positions were abolished as part of the party's constitutional reforms in 2004.

He was the SNP candidate for the Tayside North constituency in 1983, Dundee West in 1987 and Dumfries in 1992.

Morgan was elected as the Member of Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale at the 1997 general election and served as a member of the Trade and Industry Select Committee and as leader of the SNP parliamentary group in the House of Commons from 1999 to 2001. Morgan stepped down at the 2001 general election.

He was elected as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale in 1999, with a majority of 3,201 votes. He served as convener of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee from 2000 to 2001. At the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary election, he narrowly lost his constituency seat to Alex Fergusson of the Scottish Conservative Party by just 99 votes. However, he was elected as a List MSP for the South of Scotland region. In 2007, he was re-elected by the regional list.

Morgan served as convener of the Enterprise and Culture Committee from 2003 to 2004, convener of the SNP parliamentary group from 2003 to 2005, and as SNP chief whip from 2005 to 2007. Morgan was a Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2007 to 2011. He retired as an MSP at the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary election. In May 2014, he was appointed as an Electoral Commissioner and served until Sep 2022.

Personal life
Morgan is married with two daughters. He lives in Dunfermline, Fife.

title: Alasdair Morgan


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Talk:Nonviolence

Guevara, Trotsky, Frantz Fanon, and Bose on nonviolence
Hello, User:178.223.205.58 If it's "well known" that Guevara, Trotsky, Frantz Fanon, and Bose considered and rejected nonviolence, then it should not be difficult for you to provide reference(s). Please do NOT remove the flag without providing such references. Wikipedia invites almost anyone to change almost anything, writing from a Neutral point of view, citing credible sources.

I spent a couple of hours yesterday looking without success for sources to support claims I remembered having seen before and thought should be obvious. I've spent days in many other projects similarly searching for evidence that I never found or found only with substantial effort. If all this is so "well known" to you, then the needed reference(s) should be easy for you to find. My person experience with such searches is that the evidence too often eludes me. Please help educate me and others similarly uninformed and discontinue Edit warring. The world needs your wisdom but not your vandalism. Thanks, DavidMCEddy (talk) 12:08, 23 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Hm strange as there is many about that people and can be added even more, about those in question, their stances on violence and rejection of nonviolence are well known and any denial of it would be pretty funny.

About Bose for example this ,Trotsky this , Fanon this(by Sartre), Guevara .178.223.205.58 (talk) 23:33, 23 July 2023 (UTC)

 * Thanks for these references. Your reference for Bose what you said, as does the Wikipedia article on him.  I will add your reference to his name in that "Criticism" section.
 * However, I find no mention of either Gandhi or nonviolence in the references you've cited or other material I've seen on Frantz Fanon, Trotsky and Che. Trotsky was assassinated in 1940, so it's plausible to believe that he never explicitly considered nonviolence as potentially useful.  Fanon died in 1961 shortly after his Wretched of the Earth appeared.  The first section of that book is entitled "On violence", but a search for "Gandhi" and "nonviolence" in that book yielded nothing.
 * The documentation on Che that I've seen says that he was a fervent advocate of violence, but I don't find mention either of Gandhi or nonviolence in either the article you cited or in the Wikipedia article on him.
 * I therefore plan to limit that list of "fervent critics of nonviolence" only to Bose. From what little I know, one could legitimately ask if any of Trotsky, Fanon, and Guevara ever bothered to seriously consider the possibility that nonviolence might actually be effective.
 * One might add Malcolm X to that list, but I won't do it myself. He and King were clearly contemporaries, and Malcolm explicitly criticized some of King's nonviolent tactics.  And Malcolm's thoughts on race clearly changed after his trip to Mecca in 1964-April.  They may not have changed regarding nonviolence, but I'll leave that to others.
 * My own view matches the research of Chenoweth and Stephan mentioned in this article. For example, the African-Americans of the 1960s and 1970s with the most violent rhetoric like the Black Panthers were demonized in the media and gunned down by law enforcement, gangland style with no discussion in the media that I've seen suggesting that violated the rights to due process, etc., enshrined in the US Bill of Rights.  It's relatively easy for people with power to demonize apostles of violence and then kill them without bothering with trial by jury, etc.
 * Acceptable? Thanks for the references.  DavidMCEddy (talk) 06:19, 24 July 2023 (UTC)

Fourth paragraph of lead section
It’s sloppy and may need deletion or a rewrite into three or four sentences. Needs to be appropriately sourced. 2600:100C:B037:E65A:D07:3D09:CF56:D1D3 (talk) 04:47, 22 January 2024 (UTC)

 * Yes - the writer seems to have made a false link between "pacifism" coming from the Latin word for "peace", and "passive" meaning non-active. These are two completely different words. 2001:861:5700:4370:AC16:B255:8133:6086 (talk) 12:39, 9 July 2024 (UTC)

Vandalism warning
A massive complete deletion of the lead section is vandalism and is not tolerated at Wikipedia. Offenders may get blocked. Rjensen (talk) 14:23, 29 April 2024 (UTC)

Intro image
I agree with user:Randy Kryn: Gandhi was THE leader who first demonstrated the power of nonviolence to the world. His face should grace the lede of this article.

Also, the image suggested by user:Howardcorn33 is NOT one of the iconic images in the history of nonviolence, and I do not think it belongs in this article, since this article already seems long. I think Wikipedia would benefit from an article on a "List of major nonviolent campaigns", starting with the 100+ in the database of Chenoweth and Stephan -- or the 50+ that they scored as "successful". I've provided my analysis of the 5 of their 100+ campaigns in the section on "The nonviolence of the First Intifada" in the Wikiversity article on "How might the world be different if the PLO had followed Gandhi?". Such an article could contribute to the literature by offering Wikipedians a place to comment, critique, and expand on that list. Image like that suggested by user:Howardcorn33 could have a place in such an article. However, I do not plan to take the lead in constructing such an article -- beyond what I've already done for the "five campaigns in Palestine or involving Palestinians" in Chenoweth's NAVCO 1.1 dataset. DavidMCEddy (talk) 09:49, 26 May 2024 (UTC)

 * The reason I chose the image of the protestor handing flowers to police is that its a direct example of somebody committing to nonviolence in the face of a dangerous situation. a simple portrait of Gandhi’s face doesn’t serve as a direct example of nonviolence. if you have an image of Gandhi directly showing an example of nonviolence, then I will compromise and allow that as the lead image.  ― Howard • 🌽33 17:14, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Mohandas Gandhi lived his life in such a way that his image alone is enough to portray the concept of nonviolence. His work in applying the concept to public goals and events became symbolistic of what nonviolence, as a science of societal action and love that he largely pioneered, could achieve. This is the reason the image has been stable for 10 years, readers "get it" that Gandhi himself has become a descriptor of the term. Randy Kryn (talk) 12:51, 27 May 2024 (UTC)
 * I have no problem with having an image showing Gandhi in the lead. My problem is that the current lead image is merely a photo-portrait of his face which doesn't really give an example of nonviolence specifically. If we could instead have an image which shows Gandhi showing his philosophy of nonviolence in practice, that would be a much clearer representation of the concept of nonviolence. The current photo in the article is merely a symbol of Gandhi himself, not an example of nonviolent action.
 * I offer the following images which may be agreeable to all of us:

 * I am perfectly fine with any one of the above images replacing the current lead image. ― Howard • 🌽33 16:06, 27 May 2024 (UTC)
 * As I said above, Mohandas Gandhi's image alone personifies nonviolence. The opening image has been stable for ten years, and should continue as the lead image. There are many images which show the science of nonviolence in action, and they all lead back, in some form, to Mohandas Gandhi. Randy Kryn (talk) 22:48, 27 May 2024 (UTC)

 * I agree with User:Randy Kryn. This article could use links to the Wikipedia article on Salt March and the section on Civil rights activist in South Africa (1893–1914) in the Wikipedia article on Mahatma Gandhi, but I do not plan to take the time to do that. The alternative images do not show his face as well and therefore do not communicate as well as his face, in my opinion. DavidMCEddy (talk) 00:03, 28 May 2024 (UTC)
 * The third image (Gandhi at his wheel) does have both his face and his iconic spinning wheel. And Gandhi’s face alone does not communicate nonviolence. ― Howard • 🌽33 05:35, 28 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Anyway, those aren’t even the only options we have. Gandhi was photographed a lot during his lifetime, so you are free to suggest other photos. These are merely the photos which seemed pretty obvious to me. ― Howard • 🌽33 05:37, 28 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Again, I don’t see why we can’t have it both ways. Gandhi’s face tells us nothing about the action of nonviolence itself. Gandhi’s face isn’t in and of itself an action of nonviolence. Also not all images which “show the science of nonviolence in action” lead back to Gandhi. There are of course images of nonviolence people participating in nonviolent action before Gandhi was even born.Gandhi didn’t invent nonviolence. ― Howard • 🌽33 05:34, 28 May 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Nonviolence


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Maria Fyfe

Catherine Mary "Maria" Fyfe (née O'Neill; 25 November 1938 – 3 December 2020), known as Maria Fyfe, was a Scottish politician and educator who served as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill from 1987 to 2001. She was Deputy Shadow Minister for Women from 1988 to 1991, Convener of the Scottish Group of Labour MPs from 1991 to 1992 and front bench spokesperson for Scotland from 1992 to 1995. Fyfe campaigned for 50-50 representation of women in the Scottish Parliament.

Background
Catherine Maria O'Neill was born on 25 November 1938 in Glasgow, where she grew up in Gorbals, the daughter of James O'Neill, a clerk, tram driver and shopworker, and Margaret Lacey, a former shop assistant. She briefly spent time in Ireland during ww2. She was educated at Notre Dame High School. In 1964, she married James Fyfe; they had two sons. She returned to education as a mature student, studying Economic History at the University of Strathclyde and graduating in 1975 with a BA (Hons). She worked as a senior lecturer in the Trade Union Studies Unit at Glasgow Central College of Commerce from 1978 to 1987.

Early political career
Fyfe became a member of the Labour Party in 1960. She and her husband James, a journalist with the Glasgow Herald, left Labour to join Jim Sillars' breakaway pro-devolution Scottish Labour Party (SLP) in 1976, but the internal strife that plagued the new venture led to her expulsion and return to her former party within a year. In 1980 she was a Labour candidate in that year's Glasgow District Council election, where she took the Blairdardie ward from the Scottish National Party with a majority of 763 votes. On the council, she served firstly as Vice-Convener of the Finance Committee (1980–84) and then as Convener of the Personnel Committee until 1987, when she was elected to Parliament. She was a member of Labour's Scottish Executive Committee from 1981 to 1988.

Parliamentary career
At the 1987 general election, Fyfe was returned to Parliament as Member for Glasgow Maryhill, a position she occupied until the 2001 general election. She served as Deputy Shadow Minister for Women from 1988 to 1991, Convener of the Scottish Group of Labour MPs from 1991 to 1992, and front bench spokesperson for Scotland from 1992 to 1995. She did not stand for reelection at the 2001 General Election and was succeeded by Ann McKechin. Fyfe was awarded an honorary D.Univ. by the University of Glasgow in 2002.

She was quoted as saying: "I am proudest of having been involved in the 50-50 campaign to ensure that the Scottish Parliament started life with an almost equal representation of women, up there with the Scandinavian countries". She was also involved in opposing the poll tax in both England and Scotland, and launched a campaign against employee blacklisting in 1988. After standing down Fyfe continued to campaign politically including on the issue of homelessness. She also chaired the campaign to erect a statue of Glasgow councillor and rent strike campaigner Mary Barbour.

Later life
Fyfe was interviewed in 2012 as part of The History of Parliament's oral history project. She wrote two autobiographies, the first entitled A Problem Like Maria describing her work as an MP, and a second book Singing in the Streets, about her life growing up in the Gorbals in the aftermath of the Second World War, as well as her earlier political career. She also wrote another political book, Women Saying No: Making a Positive Case Against Independence, in advance of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.

She had two sons and 4 grandchildren

On 3 December 2020, Fyfe died at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital from COVID-19 during the pandemic, aged 82.

title: Maria Fyfe


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Dullah Omar

Abdullah Mohamed Omar OLS (26 May 1934 – 13 March 2004), better known as Dullah Omar, was a South African anti-Apartheid activist, lawyer, and a minister in the South African cabinet from 1994 until his death.

Early life and education
Born in Observatory, Cape Town, to immigrant parents from Gujarat in western India, Omar attended Trafalgar High School in Cape Town. He was a respected member of the Muslim community. He attended the University of Cape Town and graduated with a law degree in 1957.

Anti-apartheid activities
He defended members of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and African National Congress (ANC) and was a member of the Unity Movement throughout the Early 70's and 80's before he joined and became a leading member of the United Democratic Front. He was a human rights activist throughout his life.

His movement was generally restricted by "banning orders" and he was detained without trial repeatedly. He also survived plots by the apartheid government to assassinate him. In 1989, he became a spokesman of Nelson Mandela, during the last months of the latter's imprisonment.

Government minister
In 1994, Omar became Minister of Justice in South Africa in Nelson Mandela's ANC government, and was the first cabinet minister appointed Acting President in the absence of both the President and Deputy President from South Africa. He played a major role in transforming the South African justice system. One of his principal actions was the promulgation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in July 1995 to look into the crimes committed during apartheid and offer platforms for victims and their families to confront the perpetrators, who would in turn be offered amnesty for coming forward. The model served as an inspiration for other post-conflict societies in places such as Sierra Leone and Rwanda.

In 1999, following the election of Thabo Mbeki as President, Omar became the Minister of Transport, a post that he held until his death from cancer.

Of Indian descent and a lifelong resident of the Western Cape, he was married with three children, and was buried with official honours, and in accordance with Muslim rites on the day of his death.

title: Dullah Omar


text:
Acco (Senones)

Acco was a chief of the Senones in Gaul, who induced his countrymen to revolt against Julius Caesar in 53 BC. On the conclusion of the war, and after a conference at Durocortorum, Caesar had Acco tried and convicted on charges of treason. As punishment, he was flogged to death in the full sight of the other leaders of that people.

title: Acco (Senones)


text:
Talk:Robert Owen

Image
Hello. I don't think this photo can be of Robert Owen, who would have been in his seventies when photography proper came in. It looks more like Thomas Carlyle.

Regards, Ian

 * Actually I think it's an engraving. It came from the University of Texas collection; they cite Helmolt, H.F., ed. History of the World. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1902 as their source.  (I tend to trust them being an alum. *grin*) - Hephaestos|§ 14:01, 13 Mar 2004 (UTC)

About the "Portrait of Robert Owen (1771 - 1858) by John Cranch, 1845". The article on John Cranch states that he died in 1816. How did he paint this? He didn't say. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.206.22.214 (talk) 21:23, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

hi but i dont know what you are talking about but that does not look anything at all like thomas carlye and it is robert owen !!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.119.121.4 (talk) 23:27, 22 February 2010 (UTC)

Day of dying
Encyclopædia Britannica in hebrew claims that Owen died in November 7th. SHIMONSHA
 * That is probably a typo on their part. I've consulted several authorities and they agree he died on 17 November 1858. Pinkville

NPOV
I was looking for a factual article about the causes of failure of Owen's experiments at New Harmony. The author of this article (1911 Brittanica or whomever) clearly has a sympathetic view of Owen's beliefs.

The article is HIGHLY apologetic and forgiving about Owen's failures, and far too laudatory and lavish in praise otherwise. I know little more about the man than I learned in high school years ago (which was in itself fairly little) so can someone with more knowledge clean up a mite? No they can't.

216.46.98.249 21:43, 12 January 2006 (UTC)

NPOV

Robert Owen did have faults the main was that in America his new city was abused and the people that moved to work there where not the industrious people who appreciated his benevolence. Robert Owen failed in the American New Harmony because he did not see the problems a less than motivated workforce would produce. The good of principals were let down by the reality of Humans trying to get something for nothing. The move to succeed in the USA by UK companies still remains difficult and Owen did not expect the inherent differnces and therfore could not plan and foresee the relocation problems as it had not been undertaken before. Owen must have believed as the formulae had been succesful in New Lanark it would have no problems in the USA.

By the time he realised the project was flawed it was too late. But the work he undertook laid the foundations for many good things that had would not have been undertaken so quickly and showed that the inhuman excess the Industrial Revolution produced were not required for business to prosper and that employees should be treated as human beings. A new philosphy that made the world of employment as we know it today and we all must look to as a touchstone for the coming Globalisation producing the world-wide comglomerates who seem set on shaping the world and its workers to fit their strategies.

Though flawed the work done by Robert Owen improved the workers conditions then and now. We perhaps need another Roberty Owen faults and all to stop us falling into the Globalisation revolution without any alternative.

NPOV! The article reads like a paean to the man. Excerpts:

"In all these plans Owen obtained the most gratifying success." " According to the unanimous testimony of all who visited it, the results achieved by Owen appeared singularly good."

It also is a bit quaint and outmoded; as 216.46.98.249 pointed out, it sounds like it could be from the 1911 Brittanica. I mean, "This population, thus committed to his care, Owen now set himself to elevate and ameliorate." Really? Not to mention there are a few first-person references in the article ("As we have said,...").

In consideration of these things, I'm marking the article POV-Check. Chris 19:34, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

 * You could try rewriting the parts you think are slanted. Tom Harrison Talk 19:40, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

 * Yes, this article is a bit pious in tone and somewhat antiquated in style, as if it relies heavily on some old-fashioned hagiographical work. But it contains much useful info.  I corrected the style a bit, linked "truck system", and added dates for the Truck Acts.pmr 11:05, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Does anyone think this term here is a little subjective "crotchety, wrongheaded enthusiasts" 86.42.5.153 (talk) 21:33, 22 August 2009 (UTC)

Nationality
Many European History textbooks call Owens Scottish. Anyone care to comment on the source for his Welsh nationality here? M. Luke Myers 02:22, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

According to Norton's The Revolutionary Era: 1789-1850 Owen's was born in Wales and bought a cotton mill in New Lanark, Scotland.

Indeed, Owen was born in Newtown, Powys and moved at the age of 10. He returned to Newtown at the end of his life and died there. There is a museum and statue to Owen in Newtown

So what was his nationality??

In "The History of Socialism in the 19th century", Owen's parents were both Welsh. He also called himself a Welshman in his written Westminster Review(1839).

Owen was born in Wales, married Caroline Dale, the daughter of Scottish textile manufacturer David Dale. Robert Owen eventually became the manager and part-owner of Scotland's New Lanark Mills, but his birthplace is in Wales, so he was a Welshman. Rosalina523 (talk) 19:10, 8 November 2017 (UTC)

New Harmony
The section on its formation is questionable given that the New Harmony Historical Society website (http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/KADE/newharmony/home.html) states it was originally a German Lutherian community which failed and was rescued; another useful resource for consideration of the validity of the content is Education in Robert Owen’s new society: the New Lanark institute and schools | infed.org user:ianguy

The Photo which is attached to this section is titled 'New Moral World', However it is the same photo that is used for the page on New Harmony. Which one is correct?

I believe this section needs a bit of a rewrite - the tone lacks neutrality: "Neither of them was a pauper experiment; but it must be said that the members were of the most motley description, many worthy people of the highest aims being mixed with viagrants, adventurers, and crotchety, wrongheaded enthusiasts, or in the words of Owen's son 'a heterogeneous collection of radicals... honest latitudinarians, and lazy theorists, with a sprinkling of unprincipled sharpers thrown in.'" --Vince 16:25, 10 April 2007 (UTC)

For your section on the Owen experiment at New Harmony, Indiana, you might want to consult wikipedia's article on New Harmony. You are accurate in stating that the utopian experiment failed; however, New Harmony was a significant center of scientific research due to the presence of Owen's sons and the scientists that Robert Owen brought to the community on the famous "Boatload of Knowledge." Additional information about the history of New Harmony can be found on a site maintained by the University of Southern Indiana: New Harmony Scientists, Educators, Writers & Artists --Gr1909 (talk) 22:47, 2 March 2008 (UTC)

--Owen bought the Indiana town, known at that time as Harmony, or Harmonie, from the Harmony Society, who relocated to Pennsylvania. The Owenite utopian community named it New Harmony.Rosalina523 (talk) 19:10, 8 November 2017 (UTC)

Revisions
11/19/06 The article looked like a starstruck middle school student wrote it. The grammar, syntax, punctuation, etc. was atrocious and very archaic. I fixed most of the problem areas. You'll find that the original meanings are wholly intact; the old wording has simply been improved. --Smilingsuzy 21:19, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

~ Useful work, Smilingsuzy, but you seem to have "corrected" several spellings that are authorised by the Oxford English Dictionary. pmr 15:51, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Labour vouchers
I note that this article doesn't mention Owen's invention of labour vouchers. I'm not terribly familiar with Owen's treatment of them myself, so perhaps someone who is can add this information to the article (and also to the labour voucher article, which I have started as a stub). —Psychonaut 14:10, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

The article does mention the Truck Acts. These post-date Owen at New Lanark and the reference should not be in this article. In fact Owen favoured and operated a Truck/voucher system with vouchers redeemable in the Company Shop. So the point is misleading.

The feature of Owen's system was that (unusually for these schemes) his Shop offered good value. This fact was used by David Ricardo (as an MP) to oppose the Truck Acts. --172.201.138.248 17:33, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

Spiritualism
There is no mention in the article about the alleged authorship of the seven principles of spiritualism. Any reason for this? Is the S.N.U. website proof enough for me to alter the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.141.141.236 (talk) 18:38, 24 February 2007

Richard Dale Owen
More information about Robert Owen's son Richard Dale Owen can be found at the following site:RICHARD OWEN --Gr1909 (talk) 22:38, 2 March 2008 (UTC)

Richard Dale Owen's wiki article has been recently updated as well; additional content on four of Owen's children, who immigrated to the United States, has been added to this article.Rosalina523 (talk) 19:10, 8 November 2017 (UTC)

Cottage system
The article states that one of Owen's 'intellectual pillars' was his belief in the cottage system. No evidence is presented in support of this. Is there any? His achievement at New Lanark was to show that the factory system could be the basis of a decent life for working people, not to turn back to cottage-based production. If I am missing something, please fill the gap. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Numero60 (talk • contribs) 23:42, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

i think that it is very hard worded and hard to understand, i dont like this at all. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.164.4 (talk) 18:08, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

But I do. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.22.134.191 (talk) 10:19, 24 July 2016 (UTC)

No personal responsibility
No wonder that Antioch College, based on his principles, was an utter failure. 155.84.57.253 (talk) 20:12, 18 March 2010 (UTC)

Two points
1) The link to footnote 10 now seems to be  - but I can't see how to access 'Reflist 2' to change this;

2) There is a significant question to be asked - maybe it's been raised on other pages:and

The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) uses the hyphenated forms of co-operation, co-operative, co-operator, co-op etc - including its own name.

(Notably - and confusingly, Google (and other web-based searches eg at the Chapters/Indigo catalogue) returns different results depending on the search term co-operation/cooperation. This makes for highly misleading literature/web searches for students and so on.

For convenience, I pronounce the unhyphenated form 'cooper -/- ation' rather than the etymological - and historically accurate pronunciation 'co -/- operation' to make the ambiguity in usage that is described below.)

Indeed, the US usage of the (unhyphenated) term 'cooperation' is ambiguous - as in 'thank-you for your cooperation' (as a cipher for 'your compliance is expected - or else there will be unpleasant, likely violent, consequences for you'). Worryingly for educators, and others, this also finds use in ambiguous terms such as 'getting your child to cooperate (with you)' as a cipher for 'getting your child to comply (with your demands)'.

(Notably - this is also the case in most dominant/dominating culture/capitalist publication and wider usage, where the unhyphenated form is used without discrimination as to these alternative meanings - something that the most recent versions of the Oxford English Dictionary, most regrettably, have decided upon - despite the contrary evidence.)

So my discussion point is:

Should Wikipedia use the ICA hyphenated forms of co-operation, co-operative, co-operator, co-op etc? I'd say yes. Views? None.

John courtneidge (talk) 17:16, 28 January 2011 (UTC)

Ancestry
The article assigns Owen to the category Welsh people of Dutch descent, but doesn't provide a source. There is no mention of it in the biographical section of the article and no mention of it in his autobiography. EricWR (talk) 22:57, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

 * The 1907 biography of Owen by Frank Podmore mentions a tenuous connection with Dutch labour colonies at Frederik's Oord. But I can see nothing about any Dutch ancestry. I think it is a mistake. Martinevans123 (talk) 23:08, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

What does "Socrates' general overview" of character refer to?
I think that "Socrates' general overview" of character should be briefly spelled out in the article. I am a long-tenured professor of philosophy (specializing in Western Philosophy) and I don't know, off hand, what this refers to. And if I don't know I think it's a pretty sure bet that the vast majority of people won't know this either. I think the article could be improved if the writers and/or editors of this entry -- or anyone who knows what this refers to -- would briefly spell out what this means at the end of the paragraph where it is mentioned. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Radphilosophe

Incorrect links to a US senator from oklahoma named Robert Owen below
I deleted two links, i suggest people be on the lookout for this name problem in the future. I moved his links to his page — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nathanielfirst (talk • contribs) 22:41, 18 July 2017 (UTC)

Additional citations needed
I've found and added many of the missing citations to the article, and identified specific text with the "citations needed" note. You can help to improve this article by adding more of the missing citations from reliable sources. Rosalina523 (talk) 19:14, 8 November 2017 (UTC)

This claim seems pretty hard to believe. Perhaps it's a typo?
This sentence doesn't seem like it could possibly be true, just based on internal evidence:

"However, some of Owen's schemes displeased his partners, forcing him to arrange for other investors to buy his share of the business in 1813 for $800,000 (US)."

I believe that it should really read something like "..forcing him to arrange for other investors to buy his partner's share of the business..." It seems really unlikely that it was Owen's share that was bought out since, first, he found investors, including " Jeremy Bentham and William Allen, a well-known Quaker" who obviously agreed with his social philosophy and were apparently willing to accept reduced profits. In addition it seems like Owen continued to operate as the general manager, and continued to implement his social progress schemes, etc after the buy-out (eg instituting universal free education in Lanark in 1818).

I'd just change this to except for the fact that I am just going on internal evidence from the article itself, and common sense, not any independent knowledge of the facts of the situation.

There are three sentences in this article that seem very problematic.

The first sentence is obviously a quote from a very sympathetic source. It may very well be true, or at least partially true, but it is pretty hard to believe as stated. I'd recommend that it at least be set off in quote marks and a reference provided, with maybe some sort of a caution that the author was (one presumes) a strong partisan. Right now the sentance is simply in-line in the text, presented as objective fact, without even any supporting references.

"The manners of the children brought up under his system were beautifully graceful, genial and unconstrained; health, plenty, and contentment prevailed; drunkenness was almost unknown; and illegitimacy extremely rare."

The second sentence is less extreme, but I would guess, is just a continuation of the quote from the previous source, and ought to be handled the same way.

"Owen's relationship with the workers remained excellent, and all the operations of the mill proceeded with smoothness and regularity."

The third sentence is no doubt a continuation of the same quote, but suffers from the drawback of being obviously untrue, as shown from internal evidence provided in the next paragraph of the article. Far from being a commercial success, Owen's partners wished to sell their shares in the business and Owen had to find new partners who were willing to accept subnormal rates of returns on their investment.

"Furthermore, the business was a commercial success." — Preceding unsigned comment added by DlronW (talk • contribs) 23:14, 25 November 2017 (UTC)

should there be any reference to Marx here?
It's interesting to note that his opinion of Owen was high relative to his opinion of the other utopian socialists (not that everything has to be about Marx, but on the page of a fairly obscure socialist, surely the high opinion of the world's best-known or second-best-known socialist should be mentioned).

Culling an additional reading link.
Hi, I'm removing Southgate, Troy. Robert Owen: Welsh Radical & Co-operative Pioneer from the additional reading. It's not a primary source, and doesn't seem to add much seems like an opinion piece from a website that advocates "Race Separatism". I don't think this is very useful to link. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.182.149.165 (talk) 03:52, 16 June 2019 (UTC)

Robert Owen, a Scotsman
Robert Owen, a Scotsman, who lived in Braxfield House, Lanark, in early eighteen hundreds, is not this Robert Owen, a Welshman. This note will assist editors researching these items.--Dthomsen8 (talk) 20:34, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

The article about Braxfield House does not mention Robert Owen's nationality. The Robert Owen who lived there is the same Robert Owen as the subject of this Wiki article. RedKite (talk) 07:19, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

The last two paragraphs in the "Philosophy and Influence" section are in really bad shape. Perhaps they should be removed altogether?
This is them:

"Perhaps one of Robert Owen's most rememberable idea is his silent monitor method. Owen opposed to common corporal punishment, therefore, to have some form of discipline he developed the "silent monitor". In his mills, he would hang a four-sided block each displaying a different color representing the behavior of the employee. The color for poor performance was black and he believed it aligned with the Scottish term 'black-affronted' meaning to be embarrassed. While the opposite being white to symbolize meritorious conduct. His strategy was successful as employees at the time cared about maintain a good relationship with Owen in order to leave a good impression on him, since he took a different approach to employees' regulation. This idea supports his overall thought that human nature is molded for better or worse by the environment. Owen had a significant impact on British socialism as well on unionism that helped him set an example for others. That no matter the background one has whether rich or poor one can always change the status quo and be unalike anyone before.

Owen grew to be known as a utopian and his works clearly reflect. He took a step closer to socialism defining that it will be the next safe and fair treatment of society's labor. Although himself would be considered a bourgeoisie member his relationship with the high class was often complicated. He fought do pass legislation that benefit workers. He was mainly responsible for the Factory Act of 1819.[citation needed] He defended the idea that the government should employ the poor villages. His ideas mostly supported socialist ideas for which capitalist and government where not a big fan, thus his utopian or socialist did not carry on for much time in Britain or in the United States, where to tried to create his own society." Odbwu0c (talk) 13:21, 11 August 2022 (UTC)

 * I agree. The paragraphs add nothing to the article, so please feel free to edit or remove them. The whole of the "Philosophy and Influence" section, including it's sub-sections, is a jumble and would benefit from a complete overhaul - quite a large task I suspect. RedKite (talk) 08:32, 15 August 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Robert Owen


text:
David McLetchie

David William McLetchie CBE (6 August 1952 – 12 August 2013) was a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 1999 to 2005. He was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency from 2003 to 2011 and the Lothian region from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2013.

Early life and career
Born in Edinburgh, McLetchie attended Leith Academy and George Heriot's School and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in law in 1974. He trained as a solicitor with Shepherd and Wedderburn, before joining Tods Murray where he was assumed a partner. He specialised in tax, trusts, and estate planning. In 1979, he contested the Edinburgh Central seat for the Conservatives, but lost to Robin Cook of the Labour Party.

Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party
McLetchie became Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party upon the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, having been elected in the 1998 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election. He was forced to resign as Scottish Conservative leader following a scandal over his expense claims in 2005.

Resignation
McLetchie announced his resignation as Scottish Conservative Party leader on 31 October 2005, after it was revealed he had spent £11,500 of taxpayers' money on taxi fares, more than any other MSP. The problem was not so much the large bill, but that he had used taxis for Conservative party business (as opposed to constituency business). His successor as leader was Annabel Goldie.

Backbencher
McLetchie was elected as an additional member for the Lothians region in 1999 and the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency in 2003. Following his resignation as leader, he had a short spell as a backbencher in the Parliament though he remained a prominent figure, his major successes from this period include his campaigns on free personal care and road pricing.

McLetchie was re-elected in Edinburgh Pentlands in 2007 with an increased share of the vote and his majority doubled. On his return, he was made Conservative Chief Whip and business manager, a role which was set to be more important than ever before; given the minority SNP administration. However, he lost his seat to Gordon MacDonald of the SNP in 2011. Although not re-elected in Pentlands, he was returned to Parliament as a "list" MSP for the Lothian region.

Personal life
McLetchie was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours. He died of cancer on 12 August 2013, aged 61.

title: David McLetchie


text:
Benjamin Baillaud

Édouard Benjamin Baillaud (14 February 1848 – 8 July 1934) was a French astronomer.

Biography
Born in Chalon-sur-Saône, Baillaud studied at the École Normale Supérieure (1866-1869) and the University of Paris. He worked as an assistant at the Paris Observatory beginning in 1872. Later he was director of the Toulouse Observatory from 1878 to 1907, during much of this time serving as Dean of the University of Toulouse Faculty of Science.

He greatly expanded the observatory and enthusiastically supported the Carte du Ciel project. He specialized in celestial mechanics, in particular the motions of the satellites of Saturn.

In 1903, the observatory took over a facility on the Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees that had been founded by amateurs in the 1850s with the goal of putting a telescope there. However, the height of 2865 metres (9400 feet) posed formidable logistical challenges and the ambition had remained unrealised though a meteorological observatory had operated from 1873 to 1880. Baillaud organised a team of soldiers to erect a 0.5 metre (20 inch) reflecting telescope, and 0.25 metre refracting telescope on the summit.

In 1907, he became director of the Paris Observatory where he immediately set to work to relaunch the stalled Carte du Ciel project with a conference held at the observatory, entertained by singers from the Paris Opera and refreshed by wine provided by the director of the Bordeaux Observatory. Though the French government agreed to fund the project, it was becoming increasingly clear that its objectives were hopelessly unrealistic.

Baillaud was the President of the Société astronomique de France (SAF), the French astronomical society, from 1909 to 1911.

Baillaud was active in time standardisation, becoming the founding president of the International Time Bureau and initiating the transmission of a time signal from the Eiffel Tower. Baillaud maintained the observatory and the time signal throughout World War I, even though the German howitzer Big Bertha was targeted on the nominal co-ordinates of Paris, the location of the observatory! Baillaud's concern for the astronomical time standard led him to be an outspoken opponent of daylight saving time.

Baillaud became founding president of the International Astronomical Union in 1919 and served in this position until 1922. He retired as director of the Paris Observatory in 1926.

He was a regular academician in the astronomy section of the Académie des Sciences. He won the Bruce Medal in 1923.

The crater Baillaud on the Moon is named after him, and so are asteroids 11764 Benbaillaud and 1280 Baillauda.

Obituaries

 * AN 253 (1934) 15/16 (one sentence, in German)
 * MNRAS 95 (1935) 334
 * Obs 57 (1934) 308
 * PASP 46 (1934) 242 (one paragraph)

title: Benjamin Baillaud


text:
Charles Simon Favart

Charles Simon Favart (13 November 1710 – 12 May 1792) was a French playwright and theatre director. The Salle Favart in Paris is named after him.

Biography
Born in Paris, the son of a pastry-cook, he was educated at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, and after his father's death he carried on the business for a time. His first success in literature was La France delivrée par la Pucelle d'Orléans, a poem about Joan of Arc which obtained a prize of the Académie des Jeux Floraux. After the production of his first vaudeville, Les Deux Jumelles (1734), circumstances enabled him to relinquish business and devote himself entirely to the drama. He provided many pieces anonymously for the lesser theatres, and first put his name to La Chercheuse d'esprit, which was produced in 1741.

Among his most successful works were Annette et Lubin; Le Coq du milage (1743); Les Vendanges de Tempé (1745), later reworked as La Vallée de Montmorency (1752); Ninette à la cour (1753); Les Trois Sultanes (1761) and L'Anglais de Bordeaux (1763). Favart became director of the Opéra-Comique, and in 1745 married Marie Justine Benoîte Duronceray, a beautiful young dancer, singer and actress, who as "Mlle Chantilly" had made a successful début the year before. By their united talents and labours, the Opéra-Comique rose to such a height of success that it aroused the jealousy of the rival Comédie-Française and was suppressed.

Favart, left thus without resources, accepted the proposal of comte Maurice de Saxe, and became director of a troupe of comedians which was to accompany Maurice's army into Flanders. It was part of his duty to compose from time to time impromptu verses on the events of the campaign, amusing and stimulating the spirits of the men. So popular were Favart and his troupe that the enemy became desirous of hearing his company and sharing his services, and permission was given to gratify them, battles and comedies thus curiously alternating with each other.

The marshal, an admirer of Mme Favart, began to pay her unwanted attentions. To escape him she went to Paris, and the wrath of Saxe fell upon the husband. A lettre de cachet was issued against him, but he fled to Strasbourg and found concealment in a cellar.

Favart survived his wife by twenty years. After the marshal's death in 1750 he returned to Paris and resumed his pursuits as a dramatist. It was at this time that he became friendly with the abbé de Voisenon, who helped him with his work, to what extent is uncertain. He had grown nearly blind in his last days, and died in Paris. The Favart's second son, Charles Nicolas Favart was also an actor and dramatist.

His plays have been republished in various editions and selections (1763-1772, 12 vols.; 1810, 3 vols.; 1813; 1853). His correspondence (1759-1763) with Count Durazzo, director of theatres at Vienna, was published in 1808 as Mémoires et correspondance littéraire, dramatique et anecdotique de CS Favart. It furnishes valuable information on the state of the literary and theatrical worlds in the 18th century.

Favart's plays are also known to have inspired his close friend, the artist François Boucher, to create numerous paintings featuring Favart's characters of "the little Shepherd" and the shepherdess "Lisette." These include Boucher's The Agreeable Lesson (also known as The Flute Players) of 1748 and An Autumn Pastoral (also known as The Grape Eaters) of 1749. In turn, these paintings inspired artists of the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory to create a pair of figurines showing the two characters in poses imitating the characters of the play.

Works
Some 60 of the c. 150 plays that he composed (essentially comedies and opéras-comiques) were published in his lifetime, in 10 volumes, under the title Théâtre de M. Favart, Paris, Duchesne (later Veuve Duchesne), 1763–1772. Reprint in fac-simile, Geneva, Slatkine, 1971, 10 t. Availabable on Gallica.
 * 1732: Polichinelle comte de Paonfier
 * 1734: Les Deux Jumelles
 * 1735: La Foire de Bezons
 * 1738: Le Bal bourgeois
 * 1739: Moulinet premier, parody
 * 1740: La Servante justifiée
 * 1741: La Chercheuse d'esprit, opéra-comique
 * 1741: La Fête de Saint-Cloud
 * 1742: Le Prix de Cyhtère, opéra comique
 * 1742: Hippolyte et Aricie, parody
 * 1743: Le Coq de village, opéra comique
 * 1744: Acajou, opéra comique
 * 1744: Le Bal de Strasbourg, ballet
 * 1745: Les Vendanges de Tempé
 * 1747: Les Nymphes de Diane
 * 1747: Les Amours grivois
 * 1748: Cythère assiégée
 * 1750: Zéphire et Fleurette
 * 1751: Les Indes dansantes, parody of Indes galantes
 * 1753: Raton et Rosette
 * 1753: Les Amours de Bastien et Bastienne, parody of Devin du village
 * 1755: La Servante maîtresse, parody of La serva padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.
 * 1755: Ninette à la cour, opéra comique
 * 1761: Les Trois Sultanes ou Soliman Second
 * 1762: Annette et Lubin, opéra comique
 * 1763: L'Anglais à Bordeaux
 * 1765: La Fée Urgèle ou Ce qui plaît aux dames, opéra-comique
 * 1769: La Rosière de Salency, opéra comique
 * 1773: La Belle Arsène, opéra comique

Favart also left Mémoires, published in 1808 by his grandson.

Trivia

 * Favart and his wife appeared in fictionalised form in Offenbach's 1878 opéra comique, Madame Favart
 * Favart reworked Rinaldo di Capua's La Zingara as La Bohemienne.
 * Favart's Hippolyte et Aricie (1742) is a parody of the opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau bearing the same name.

title: Charles Simon Favart


text:
Treaty of Nöteborg

The Treaty of Nöteborg, also known as the Treaty of Oreshek (Freden i Nöteborg; Ореховский мир; Pähkinäsaaren rauha), is a conventional name for the peace treaty signed at Oreshek (Nöteborg; Pähkinäsaari) on 12 August 1323. It was the first settlement between Sweden and the Novgorod Republic regulating their border mostly in the area that is also known as Finland today. Three years later, Novgorod signed the Treaty of Novgorod with the Norwegians.

Name
The treaty had no special name at the time, as it was just called a "permanent peace" between the parties. Modern English language publications most often use the name "Treaty of Nöteborg" for it, which is a direct translation of Nöteborgsfreden by which the treaty has conventionally been referred to in the Swedish language literature. "Treaty of Oreshek" is a similar translation from the Russian Ореховский мир. Both "Nöteborg" and "Oreshek" are old names of a fortress in Shlisselburg, used respectively in Swedish and Russian.

Recently, the name "Treaty of Pähkinäsaari" has appeared in some of the English language literature, as a direct translation of the contemporary Finnish name of the treaty, Pähkinäsaaren rauha. "Pähkinäsaari" was and is the Finnish name for the island on which the fortress was built. The Finnish name means literally 'nut island', and is cognate with the Swedish name ('nöt' meaning nut).

Contents
The original text of the treaty has been lost. It has survived in partial copies in Russian, Swedish, and Latin, which are somewhat conflicting.

The treaty was negotiated with the help of Hanseatic merchants in order to conclude the Swedish-Novgorodian Wars. As a token of goodwill, Novgorod ceded three Karelian parishes to Sweden; Sweden would in turn stay out of any conflict between Novgorod and Danish Duchy of Estonia. Both sides would also promise to refrain from building castles on the new border.

The treaty defined the border as beginning east and north of Viborg Castle, running along the Sestra and Volchya Rivers, splitting the Karelian Isthmus in half, running across Savonia and, according to traditional interpretations, ending in the Gulf of Bothnia near the Pyhäjoki River. However the wording "the sea in the north" can as well mean the Arctic Ocean.

Only the southern part of the border, close to Viborg, was actually considered important and clearly defined in the treaty. Borders in the wilderness were defined very roughly, and presumably considered less important than the line across the Karelian Isthmus. It has also been suggested that the treaty would have originally given both Sweden and Novgorod joint rights to northern Ostrobothnia and Lappland.

Aftermath
Finnic tribes living on both sides of the border, mainly Karelians, Finns, and Tavastians, had no say in the treaty. Sweden and Novgorod had already de facto established their areas of influence in eastern Fennoscandia, with Karelians under Russian rule and other tribes in the west under Swedish rule. The treaty established international approval for that structure, but the concept of "permanent peace" did not have much effect on the long-term conflict between Novgorod and Sweden. The northern part of the border crossed wide stretches of wilderness in which the Hansa and its diplomats were not interested, but these areas became a bone of contention between Sweden and Novgorod soon thereafter. Within five years after the treaty was signed, Swedish colonists started making inroads into northern Ostrobothnia. Sweden also established castles at Uleåborg around 1375 and Olofsborg in 1475, clearly on the Novgorodian side of the border.

In 1595, the Treaty of Teusina acknowledged the Swedish text as the correct one. However, long before that, Sweden had succeeded in permanently taking over large areas on the Novgorod side of the original border, including Ostrobothnia and Savonia. Eventually, the territory west of the border, along with the expanse to the north, evolved into the country known today as Finland.

title: Treaty of Nöteborg


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Seiza

 Seiza  ( or 正坐; せいざ ; lit. 'proper sitting') is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan. It involves a specific positioning and posture in a kneeled position so as to convey respect, particularly toward elders. It developed among samurai during the Edo period and was later widely adopted by the public.

Seiza is associated with straw tatami flooring or zabuton pillows that allow for comfortable sitting, and it is commonly used in several Japanese practices, including Japanese martial arts and the Japanese tea ceremony. Sitting seiza-style is often difficult for people who are not accustomed to it or for the physically infirm, such as injured people and the elderly. Sitting seiza-style for long periods of time is associated with health problems, particularly those of the knees. Seiza may be compared to similar seated positions in other cultures, such as Indian Vajrasana.

Form
To sit seiza-style, one must first be kneeling on the floor, folding one's legs underneath one's thighs, while resting the buttocks on the heels. The ankles are turned outward as the tops of the feet are lowered so that, in a slight "V" shape, the tops of the feet are flat on the floor and big toes overlapped, the right always on top of the left, and the buttocks are finally lowered all the way down. Depending on the circumstances, the hands are folded modestly in the lap, or are placed palm down on the upper thighs with the fingers close together, or are placed on the floor next to the hips, with the knuckles rounded and touching the floor. The back is kept straight, though not unnaturally stiff. Traditionally, women sit with the knees together while men separate them slightly. Some martial arts, notably kendō, aikidō, and iaidō, may prescribe up to two fist widths of distance between the knees for men.

Stepping into and out of seiza is performed mindfully. There are codified traditional methods of entering and exiting the sitting position depending on occasion and type of clothing worn.

History

Prior to the Edo period, there were no standard postures for sitting on the floor. During this time, seiza referred to "correct sitting", which took various forms such as sitting cross-legged (胡坐, agura), sitting with one knee raised (立て膝, tatehiza), or sitting to the side (割座, wariza), while the posture commonly known as seiza today was called kiza (危座).

People's social circumstances, clothing styles, and the places where they sat naturally brought about their manners of sitting. The development, in the Muromachi period, of Japanese architecture in which the floors were completely covered with tatami (thick straw mats), combined with the strict formalities of the ruling warrior class for which this style of architecture was principally designed, heralded the adoption of the sitting posture known today as seiza as the respectful way to sit. By the middle of the Edo period, it had become a convention for samurai to sit in this manner when meeting authority figures such as the Shogun as a symbol of obedience and loyalty. However, it probably was not until around the years surrounding the turn of the 18th century (the Genroku to Kyōhō eras in Japanese history) that the Japanese generally adopted this manner of sitting in their everyday lives and during the Meiji era, it had become firmly established as the proper sitting posture, as part of the "Japanese culture and tradition" purposefully created during this time.

The posture serves as the standard floor sitting posture for most traditional formal occasions, and it is generally considered the respectful way to sit in the presence of superiors or elders unless otherwise permitted. There is a similar sitting posture in India called vajrasana. It would be done during a form of yoga and practiced during visiting temples and doing prayer in temples. Indians believe that this posture has health benefits.

Floor
Seiza involves sitting down on the floor and not on a chair. In traditional Japanese architecture, floors in various rooms designed for comfort have tatami floors. Seiza thus is closely connected with tatami flooring. There are circumstances, however, when people sit seiza-style on carpeted and hardwood floors. In many martial arts, for instance, this sitting position generally takes place on hardwood floors. Depending on the formality of the occasion, the setting, and the relative status of the person, it is sometimes acceptable to sit on a special cushion called a zabuton (literally a "sitting futon").

Difficulties

Sometimes stools are provided for elderly or injured people even when others are expected to sit seiza-style. It is recommended, particularly in formal situations, to at least try to sit seiza-style. Non-Japanese who have not grown up sitting in this posture may, however, have difficulty assuming it at all. Those unfamiliar with seiza will likely find that maintaining it for more than a minute or two tends to lead to paresthesia, whereby the compression of the nerves causes a loss of their blood flow, with the accompanying "pins and needles" feeling, followed by painful burning sensations, and then eventually complete numbness in the legs. However, the physical discomfort lessens with experience as the circulation of the blood improves. Experienced seiza practitioners can maintain the posture for forty minutes or more with minimal discomfort. Certain knee problems are made worse when assuming this position, specifically Osgood-Schlatter disease.

Special seiza stools are available in Japan. They are folding stools, small enough to be carried in a handbag, which are placed between the feet and on which one rests the buttocks when sitting seiza-style. They allow one to maintain the appearance of sitting seiza while discreetly taking pressure off the heels and feet.

A law that came into effect in April 2020 recognizes seiza for extended periods of time as a morally unacceptable form of punishment according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Use in traditional arts

Doing seiza is an integral and required part of several traditional Japanese arts, such as certain Japanese martial arts and tea ceremony (a table-style version of tea ceremony known as ryūrei was invented in the 19th century). Seiza is also the traditional way of sitting while doing other arts such as shodō (calligraphy) and ikebana (flower arranging), though with the increasing use of western-style furniture it is not always necessary nowadays.

Many theatres for traditional performing arts such as kabuki and sumo still have audience seating sections where the spectators sit in seiza style.

Shikkō
Walking on the feet and knees while in the seiza posture, known as shikkō (膝行), is considered more polite than standing up and walking regularly. Shikkō is today quite rare, but is found in some traditional formal restaurants and ryokan, and is practiced in the martial art of aikido, where practitioners learn to defend themselves while moving in shikkō.

To perform this knee-walking movement correctly the heels must be kept close together, and the body must move as a whole unit. Movement in shikkō forces one to engage the hips in a way that is considered valuable for aikido training.

Agura

Sitting cross-legged, agura, is considered informal: it is appropriate for certain situations but not others. It is common in informal situations, such as eating at a low table in a casual restaurant, and allowed in formal situations especially for those for whom seiza is difficult, such as elderly or non-Japanese people.

Yokozuwari
Some sitting postures (e.g. agura, tatehiza, etc.) are impossible to do in skirts or certain types of women's traditional clothing (such as the premodern kimono) without risk of exposure, so an alternative informal sitting posture has both legs off to one side, with one side of the hips on the floor, termed yokozuwari (横座り).

Wariza
Another informal sitting posture for women is called wariza (割座) which resembles seiza posture, whereby the buttocks are on the floor and the lower legs are bent off to their respective sides.

Kiza
To sit in seiza requires coming to a kneeling position momentarily, with the heels propped up; if one remains seated on the heels with the balls of the feet touching the floor and toes flexed forward, it is called kiza (跪座 / 跪坐). If one then lowers the tops of the feet to the floor, one then will be in the seiza position. In some schools of iaido, practitioners stand up to draw the sword and cut after momentarily assuming kiza, so as not to sprain the instep jumping up directly from seiza.

title: Seiza


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Seam ripper

A seam ripper is a small sewing tool used for cutting and removing stitches.

The most common form consists of a handle, shaft and head. The head is usually forked with a cutting surface situated at the base of the fork. In some designs, one side of the fork tapers to a sharp point to allow easier insertion in tight stitching.

In using a seam ripper, the sharp point of the tool is inserted into the seam underneath the thread to be cut. The thread is allowed to slip down into the fork and the tool is then lifted upwards, allowing the blade to rip through the thread. Once the seam has been undone in this way the loose ends can be removed and the seam resewn.

title: Seam ripper


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Talk:Taunus

Untitled
Auto discussion moved to Talk:Ford Taunus. — Preceding unsigned comment added by RivGuySC (talk • contribs) 17:11, 5 July 2004 (UTC)

A map from the German Wikipedia. Could it be included? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.176.251.219 (talk • contribs)

 * Von mir aus gerne. Mentatus 06:48, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

Widerspruch zwischen deutscher und englischer Version
Der Taunus ist ein in Hessen und Rheinland-Pfalz liegendes Mittelgebirge ...

The Taunus is a mountain range in Hesse, Germany, ... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.130.153.43 (talk) 09:23, 28 January 2021 (UTC)

title: Talk:Taunus


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Michael Hastings

Michael or Mike Hastings may refer to:
 * Michael Hastings (playwright) (1938–2011), British playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and poet
 * Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun (1942–2012), English-born Australian rice farmer, Scottish aristocrat, and pretender to the ancient Crown of England
 * Michael Hastings, Baron Hastings of Scarisbrick (born 1958), British peer and television executive
 * Mike Hastings (ice hockey) (born 1966), American coach
 * Michael Hastings (journalist) (1980–2013), American journalist, author, contributing editor to Rolling Stone and reporter for BuzzFeed
 * Michael Hastings (politician) (born 1980), member of Illinois State Senate
 * Michael Harvey Hastings, British neuroscientist

title: Michael Hastings


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Robert May, Baron May of Oxford

Robert McCredie May, Baron May of Oxford,  HonFAIB (8 January 1936 – 28 April 2020) was an Australian scientist who was Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, President of the Royal Society, and a professor at the University of Sydney and Princeton University. He held joint professorships at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. He was also a crossbench member of the House of Lords from 2001 until his retirement in 2017.

May was a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and an appointed member of the council of the British Science Association. He was also a member of the advisory council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering.

Early life and education
May was born in Sydney on 8 January 1936, to lawyer Henry Wilkinson May and Kathleen Mitchell (née McCredie), who divorced when he was seven years old. His father was of prosperous middle-class Northern Irish origin, and his mother was the daughter of a Scottish engineer. May was educated at Sydney Boys High School. He then attended the University of Sydney, where he studied chemical engineering and theoretical physics (BSc 1956) and received a PhD in theoretical physics in 1959. He was a patron of the Sydney High School Old Boys Union.

Career
Early in his career, May developed an interest in animal population dynamics and the relationship between complexity and stability in natural communities. He was able to make major advances in the field of population biology through the application of mathematical techniques. His work played a key role in the development of theoretical ecology through the 1970s and 1980s. He also applied these tools to the study of disease and to the study of biodiversity.

May was Gordon MacKay Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at Harvard University (1959–61) and returned to the University of Sydney (1962) as senior lecturer, reader, and professor (1969–72) in theoretical physics. From 1973 until 1988, he was Class of 1977 Professor of Zoology at Princeton University, serving as chairman of the University Research Board 1977–88. From 1988 until 1995, he held a Royal Society Research Professorship jointly at Imperial College London and the University of Oxford, where he became a fellow of Merton College and a Master of Arts. He was Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and head of the Office of Science and Technology (1995–2000), and president of the Royal Society (2000–2005).

Public life
May held subsidiary appointments as executive trustee of the Nuffield Foundation, member of the board of the United Kingdom Sports Institute, foundation trustee of the Gates Trust (University of Cambridge), chairman of the board of trustees of the Natural History Museum, trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, independent member of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, trustee of World Wildlife Fund-UK, president of the British Ecological Society, and member of the Committee on Climate Change.

In 1996, May asked Ig Nobel to stop awarding prizes to British scientists because this might lead the public to treat worthwhile research less seriously (see Criticism of Ig Nobel).

Climate change co-operation
Although an atheist since age 11, May stated that religion may help society deal with climate change. While referring to what he believed to be a rigid structure of fundamentalist religion, he stated that the co-operational aspects of non-fundamentalist religion may in fact help with climate change. When asked if religious leaders should be doing more to persuade people to combat climate change, he stated that it was absolutely necessary. May also estimated that there may be approximately 7 million species present in the Earth, both animal and plant combined.

Awards and honours
May was appointed Knight Bachelor in 1996, and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1998. In 2001, on the recommendation of the House of Lords Appointments Commission, he was created a life peer. He was one of the first fifteen peers to be elevated in this manner. After his initial preference for "Baron May of Woollahra" failed an objection from the Protocol Office of the Australian Prime Minister's Department, he chose the style and title Baron May of Oxford, of Oxford in the County of Oxfordshire. He was made a member of the Order of Merit in 2002.

He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1977 and to the Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1979. He became a Corresponding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1991, a Foreign Member of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1992, a member of the American Philosophical Society in 2001, a member of the Academia Europaea in 1994, and Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 2010.

In 2005 he was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2009 Lord May became only the 7th ever Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Building (HonFAIB). He received honorary degrees from universities including Uppsala (1990), Yale (1993), Sydney (1995), Princeton (1996), and the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (2003). He was awarded the Weldon Memorial Prize by the University of Oxford (1980), an Award by the MacArthur Foundation (1984), the Medal of the Linnean Society of London (1991), the Marsh Christian Prize (1992), the Frink Medal by the Zoological Society of London (1995), the Crafoord Prize (1996), the Balzan Prize (1998) for Biodiversity and the Copley Medal by the Royal Society (2007) and the Lord Lewis Prize by the Royal Society of Chemistry (2008).

Personal life
During his postdoctoral research at the Division of Engineering and Applied Physics at Harvard University as Gordon MacKay Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, between 1959 and 1961, May met his wife, Judith Feiner, a native of Manhattan. The Mays had a daughter, Naomi.

May died at a nursing home in Oxford of pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer's disease on 28 April 2020, aged 84.

title: Robert May, Baron May of Oxford


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Texas Senate

The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, they compose the state legislature of the state of Texas.

There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 940,000 per constituency, based on the 2020 U.S. Census. Elections are held in even-numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

There are no term limits. Terms are four years in length, with one two-year term each decade. Senators are divided into two groups based in part on the intervening Census: As such, every two years, about half of the Texas Senate is on the ballot.
 * In elections in years ending in 2 (the election after the Census), all 31 seats are up for election.
 * Once the Senate meets in session after said election, the Senators will participate in a drawing to determine their election cycle:
 * One-half will have a 2-4-4 cycle, whereupon the seat would stand for election after two years (the year ending in 4) for a four-year term, followed by another four-year term (elected in the year ending in 8).
 * The other half will have a 4-4-2 cycle, whereupon the seat would stand for election after four years (the year ending in 6) for another four-year term, followed by a two-year term (elected in the year ending in 0).

The Senate meets at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. The Republicans currently control the chamber, which is made up of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats.

Leadership
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas serves as the President of the Senate. Unlike most lieutenant governors who are constitutionally designated as presiding officers of the upper house, the Lieutenant Governor regularly presides over the chamber rather than delegate this role to the President Pro Tempore. The Lieutenant Governor's duties include appointing chairs of committees, committee members, assigning and referring bills to specific committees, recognizing members during debate, and making procedural rulings. The Lieutenant Governor may also cast a vote should a Senate floor vote end in a tie. If the Senate votes to dissolve itself into the Committee of the Whole, in which all members are part of the Committee, the President Pro-Tempore presides over the proceedings, with the Lieutenant Governor acting as a regular voting member. Due to the various powers of committee selection and bill assignment, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas is considered one of the most powerful lieutenant governorships in the United States.

Unlike other state legislatures, the Texas Senate does not include majority or minority leaders. Instead, the President Pro Tempore is considered the second most powerful position, and can be reserved to any political party in the chamber regardless if the party is a majority or not. Presidents Pro Tempore are usually the most senior members of the Senate. The President Pro Tempore presides when the Lieutenant Governor is not present or when the legislature is not in regular session.

Quorum-busting
There have been at least three cases of quorum-busting in Texas Senate history. The first case was in 1870, with the Rump Senate, followed by the 1979 Killer Bees and finally the "Texas Eleven" in August 2003 during the controversial mid-decade redistricting plan at the time.

Committee structure
The following represents the Senate committee structure for the 88th Legislature (numbers in parentheses are the number of committee members, as appointed by the President of the Texas Senate).

 * Administration (7)
 * Border Security (5)
 * Business and Commerce (11)
 * Criminal Justice (7)
 * Education (13)
 * Under this Committee, a Subcommittee on Higher Education (5)
 * Finance (17)
 * Health & Human Services (9)
 * Jurisprudence (5)
 * Local Government (9)
 * Natural Resources and Economic Development (9)
 * Nominations (9)
 * State Affairs (11)
 * Transportation (9)
 * Veteran Affairs (7)
 * Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (9)

In addition to these committees, there are also six joint committees composed of members of both the State Senate and House:

 * Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight
 * Legislative Audit Committee
 * Legislative Budget Board
 * Legislative Reference Library Board
 * Sunset Advisory Commission
 * Texas Legislative Council

Current composition
[[File:TxSen2022Comp.svg|none|thumb|500x500px|Senate districts and party affiliation after the 2022 election

]]

Current members, 2023–2025
† Elected in a special election

Notable past members

 * Edward Clark, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (1859–1861), Governor of Texas (1861).
 * Wayne Connally, Senator from Wilson County (1967–1973), brother of Governor John Connally.
 * Lloyd Doggett, Texas Supreme Court Justice (1989–1994), U.S. House of Representatives (1995–present).
 * Robert L. Duncan, State Senator from Lubbock, 1996–2014; Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System since 2014
 * Chet Edwards, U.S. House of Representatives (1991–2011).
 * Pat Fallon, U.S. House of Representatives (2021–present)
 * James W. Flanagan, U.S. Senate (1870–1875).
 * Sylvia Garcia, U.S. House of Representatives (2019–present)
 * Glenn Hegar, current Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (2015–present).
 * John Ireland, Texas Supreme Court Justice (1876), Governor of Texas (1883–1887).
 * Eddie Bernice Johnson, U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2023).
 * Rienzi Melville Johnston, U.S. Senate (1913).
 * Barbara Jordan, U.S. House of Representatives (1973–1979).
 * Earle Bradford Mayfield, U.S. Senate (1923–1929).
 * William Neff "Bill" Patman, Senator from Jackson County (1961–1981), U.S. House of Representatives (1981–1985).
 * Dan Patrick, current Lieutenant Governor of Texas (2015–present).
 * Jerry E. Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office (2003–2015).
 * Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Governor of Texas, (1887–1891).
 * Joseph D. Sayers, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (1879–1881), U.S. House of Representatives (1885–1899), Governor of Texas (1899–1903).
 * Allan Shivers, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (1946–1949), Governor of Texas (1949–1957).
 * Preston Smith, Governor of Texas (1969–1973).
 * Frank Tejeda, U.S. House of Representatives (1993–1997).
 * James W. Throckmorton, Governor of Texas (1866–1867), U.S. House of Representatives (1875–1879, 1883–1887).
 * Carlos Truan, Senator from Corpus Christi (1977–2003); author of Texas Bilingual Education Act.
 * Jim Turner, U.S. House of Representatives (1997–2005).
 * Matthias Ward, U.S. Senate (1858–1859).
 * Kirk Watson, Mayor of Austin (1997-2001, 2023–present)
 * Ferdinand C. Weinert, Texas House and Texas Senate (1893–1935), Texas Secretary of State (1913).
 * Louis Wigfall, U.S. Senate (1859–1861).
 * Charles Wilson, U.S. House of Representatives (1973–1997).
 * Roy Blake, Sr., Senator from Nacogdoches County, Texas, (1978-1989), [President Pro Tempore] (1987–1989).

Past composition of the Senate
The Senate was continuously held by Democrats from the end of the Reconstruction era until the Seventy-fifth Texas Legislature was seated in 1997, at which point Republicans took control. The Republican Party has maintained its control of the Senate since then.

Obsolete districts

 * Texas Senate, District F (1846–1848)
 * Texas Senate, District 32 (1853–1866)
 * Texas Senate, District 33 (1853–1866)

title: Texas Senate