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Reginald Walter Macan (1848 – 23 March 1941) was an Irish classical scholar. He was educated at University College, Oxford, where he gained a First in Classical Moderations in 1869 and a First in Literae Humaniores ('Greats') in 1871. He held a Fellowship at the college (1884–1906) and was appointed Master in March 1906. He was only the second layman Master of the college after Anthony Gate, Master from 1584 to 1597.

Reginald Macan was originally from Dublin, Ireland, and retained his Irish accent until the 1890s. He was an undergraduate at University College, Oxford, and then a "Student" (the equivalent of a Fellow) of Christ Church after obtaining his degree. He returned to University College as a Fellow and Tutor in 1884 until becoming Master of the college in 1906. He retired in 1923.

Macan had a reputation as a heretic early in his career, but delivered addresses in the chapel at University College at least annually. Like his predecessor as Master, J. Frank Bright, he was nicknamed the "Mugger" by students.

Macan applied archaeological discoveries to the study of ancient history. He produced a major set of books on Herodotus.

In 1913, Reginald Macan visited New York and spoke at the Sphinx Club about Rhodes Scholars at Oxford University.

In 1881, Macan married Mildred Healey; they had three daughters, one of whom Agatha Perrin married Eric Forbes Adam. He retired to Boars Hill, south of Oxford, and lived there till the age of 93.

Maurice Greiffenhagen painted a formal portrait of Macan in academic dress, located at University College in Oxford.

References

1. ^ Macan, Reginald Walter (1895). Herodotus: the fourth, fifth, and sixth books. Macmillan & Co. – via Internet Archive.
2. "Reginald Walter Macan (1848-1941), Classical scholar". UK: National Portrait Gallery, London. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
3. "Oxford University Calendar 1895". Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1895. pp. 193, 313.
4. Darwall-Smith, Robin (2008). "Reginald Macan". A History of University College, Oxford. Oxford University Press. pp. 422–425. ISBN 978-0-19-928429-0.
5. ^ Vidler, Denis (1979). "'The Last Master but Six' – Extracts from addresses given in the College Chapel by Dr. R. W. Macan". University College Record. Vol. VII, no. 5. pp. 259–267.
6. ^ Bickerton, Fred (1953). Fred of Oxford. London: Evans Brothers Limited. pp. 131–133.
7. "Rhodes Scholar's Sneer: American Called Oxford "a God-Forsaken Place," Dr. Macan Says". The New York Times. 16 December 1913.
8. 'MACAN, Reginald Walter’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2012; online edn, October 2012 accessed 28 December 2012
9. ADAM, Eric Graham Forbes’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007 accessed 28 December 2012
10. Greiffenhagen, Maurice. "Reginald Walter Macan (1848–1941), Master (1906–1923)". Art UK. Retrieved 6 January 2015.

External links

• "Macan, Reginald Walter`" . Thom's Irish Who's Who . Dublin: Alexander Thom and Son Ltd. 1923. p. 143  – via Wikisource.

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