Michael Hoban
Brian Michael Stanislaus Hoban (7 October 1921 in British Guiana – 6 July 2003), was a teacher of classics, and Headmaster of Harrow School from 1971–81.
His father died when he was a small child and he spent two years in an orphanage. In 1934 he won a scholarship to Charterhouse, where he remained until the onset of World War II in 1939. He spent the war as a captain with the Westminster Dragoons, and was mentioned in dispatches.[1]
From 1946–49 he was a student of classics at University College, Oxford. In 1947 he married Jasmine Holmes, the daughter of his Charterhouse house master. From 1949–52 he was an assistant master at Uppingham School teaching classics. From 1952–59 he was an assistant master at Shrewsbury School teaching classics. From 1960–64 he was Headmaster of St Edmund's School, Canterbury.
From 1964–71, he was Headmaster of Bradfield College. In 1971 he was named Headmaster of Harrow. He headed Harrow at a difficult time for British public schools generally, due to the political environment and financial pressures. Despite sometimes public criticism, Hoban responded with cost-saving measures, whilst refurbishing houses. During his tenure at Harrow, numbers slipped below 700 only three times. He oversaw many important building projects, including the new Central Feeding block; the New Knoll boarding house; and new physics and maths schools. He retired in 1981. [2]
Death
Hoban died on 6 July 2003, aged 81.
References
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Head Masters of Harrow
- 1608–1611 Anthony Rate
- 1611–1615 Thomas or Henry Bradley
- 1615–1621 William Launce
- 1621–1628 Robert Whittle
- 1628–1661 William Hide
- 1661–1668 Thomas Johnson
- 1668–1669 Thomas Martin
- 1669–1685 William Horne
- 1685–1691 William Bolton
- 1692–1730 Thomas Brian
- 1730–1746 James Cox (absconded)
- 1746–1760 Thomas Thackeray
- 1760–1771 Robert Carey Sumner
- 1771–1785 Benjamin Heath
- 1785–1805 Joseph Drury
- 1805–1829 George Butler
- 1829–1836 Dr Charles Longley
- 1836–1844 Christopher Wordsworth
- 1845–1859 Dr Charles John Vaughan
- 1860–1885 Henry Montagu Butler
- 1885–1898 James Welldon
- 1898–1910 Dr Joseph Wood
- 1910–1925 Lionel Ford
- 1926–1934 Dr Cyril Norwood
- 1934–1939 Paul Cairn Vellacott
- 1940–1942 Paul Boissier
- 1942–1953 Ralph Westwood Moore
- 1953–1971 Robert Leoline James
- 1971–1981 Michael Hoban
- 1981–1991 Ian David Stafford Beer
- 1991–1999 Nicholas Raymond Bomford
- 1999–2011 Barnaby Lenon
- 2011–2018 James Hawkins
- 2018–2019 Mel Mrowiec (interim)
- 2019– Alastair Land
