‘A towering figure in higher education’: Remembering Sir Eric Thomas
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Professor Sir Eric Thomas, the inaugural Chair of the Advisory Board for the philanthropic Campaign for Newcastle University.
21 November 2023
Sir Eric was a graduate, honorary graduate and lifelong friend of Newcastle University as well as an eminent clinician and one of the most influential figures in higher education of his generation. He died at the age of 70 on Friday 10 November 2023. Professor Chris Day CBE, Vice-Chancellor and President of Newcastle University, got to know Sir Eric well during his time as PVC of Newcastle Medical Sciences Faculty. He said:
“Sir Eric was well known in higher education circles for his Geordie friendliness and charm, and I knew of him long before we became acquainted properly some 15 years ago.
“When I became Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Newcastle Medical Sciences Faculty, Sir Eric very kindly reached out to me offering his mentorship to help me in my new role. We would meet in London for lunch regularly, and amidst the football banter - Eric’s team Arsenal were always, sadly, doing much better than my beloved NUFC! - he always provided some real gems of advice that helped me get where I am today. These were always delivered, of course, with the characteristic twinkle in his eye and a huge dose of humour.
It was Sir Eric who demonstrated to me – as he did for many in the sector – the importance of philanthropy in higher education. When I became Vice-Chancellor in 2017, he strongly advised me to prioritise this in my leadership and to be ‘the flag-carrier for the brand when raising money for the university.
And so it was a real full circle moment to ask Sir Eric to support us in Chairing the Campaign for Newcastle University. I was personally delighted when he agreed to join us, his alma mater, on this new venture. We were very lucky indeed to have a fellow Geordie, medic and previous Vice-Chancellor who had dedicated his career to this very issue as our advisor.
“We are only two years into our 10-year campaign, and already, with the steer and guidance of Sir Eric, we have been able to raise an incredible £80m. The students supported, new projects launched, and research embarked upon because of this fundraising will forever honour Sir Eric and will be a lasting legacy.”
Sir Eric was born and brought up in Hartlepool, County Durham. Like his father before him, he joined Newcastle University in the early 1970s as a medical student, graduating with an MBBS in 1976. Much of Sir Eric’s medical training took place at Newcastle General Hospital where he met his wife, Narell.
When he received his honorary degree in 2016, he spoke of his time in Newcastle:
"Perhaps my Newcastle life is best exemplified by the Newcastle General Hospital and the surrounding area. That's where I spent much of my student life, where I met my wife - a student nurse - where I went drinking in the late lamented Prince of Wales on the West Road, where I consolidated friendships that still exist to this day, and it is the hospital where I was a medical student, a junior doctor and finally, and very proudly, a consultant for nearly four years before moving to Southampton.”
Having trained as an obstetrician and gynaecologist, working at both Newcastle and Sheffield universities, Sir Eric obtained an MD in 1987 for research into endometriosis. He went on to become Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton and practised as a Consultant Gynaecologist from 1987 to 2001.
Sir Eric’s influence grew when he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Bristol University in 2001. Leading by example, he transformed its academic life, instituting a new admissions process that enabled applicants from poorly performing schools to achieve their potential. He expressed his commitment to social mobility in a Times Higher Education article in 2012:
"The journey from my alma mater, Newcastle University, to the Vice-Chancellorship of the University of Bristol is no less life-transforming than the journey of a student from a house in Redcar where nobody has ever been to university who becomes a family solicitor in Yarm through a law degree at Teesside University. That is what social mobility is all about and we must embrace, respect and celebrate that.”
Sir Eric was equally passionate about philanthropy as a force for good. As Chair of the Board of Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Europe and Chair of the 2004 Government Taskforce into Increasing Voluntary Donations to Higher Education, he led the Thomas Report which, 20 years on, remains as a defining statement on the transformative potential for philanthropy in higher education. Since then, countless students and research programmes across the UK and beyond have benefitted directly from his foresight in championing the need for philanthropy in higher education.
His lifelong work was formally recognised in Queen Elizabeth II’s 2013 Birthday Honours, in which he received a knighthood for services to Higher Education.
Image credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Closer to home, Sir Eric was always a leading figure in encouraging fellow Newcastle medical alumni to support future generations of medics – a role helped by his experience as MEDSOC President between 1988-89. Together with his close friends in the remarkable ‘Class of ’76’ he generously supported medical students from disadvantaged backgrounds over many years.
He was the perfect choice to become inaugural Chair for Newcastle University’s first institution-wide philanthropic campaign. In early conversations, and later as Chair of the international Advisory Board, he enthused his alma mater to be ambitious in its plans, setting a fundraising target of £300m over 10 years. Two years in, under Sir Eric’s leadership, the university has already raised £80m to support future generations of Newcastle students and researchers.
Sir Eric will be greatly missed by countless friends and colleagues in Newcastle and around the world. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.
Professor Anya Hurlbert, Dean of Advancement paid tribute saying:
“Sir Eric Thomas was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Advisory Board for the Campaign for Newcastle University in early 2021. As Chair, he quickly became a role model, an inspiration, and a friend, to many of us personally, and to the city and university.
“His belief in universities as providers of a public good was core to his promotion of the necessity of philanthropy. He also knew, and taught us well, that to engage donors in the future of the university, one must have a clear vision of that future, and that it was essential to align the university’s strategic priorities with philanthropic fund-raising goals. The virtuous circle of success, with donors and beneficiaries working together to achieve greater aspirations for all, was born.
“We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have had Sir Eric with us from the beginning of Newcastle University’s campaign. His generosity, good humour and wisdom have held us aloft throughout. He gave us at Newcastle University so much of his knowledge and experience that his enduring spirit will forever infuse all of our actions.”
Paul Tyack, Director of Advancement added:
“In the world of universities, Sir Eric Thomas’s was a name to be reckoned with. While the ‘Sir’ –awarded in honour of services to higher education – befitted a fine man who used his influence and authority to bring about change for the good, the more informal ‘Eric’ – complete with anecdotes and enthusiasm – was never far behind.
“I first met Eric at a seminar hosted by the Chair of the Wellcome Trust, Baroness Eliza Mannighan-Buller, of MI5 renown. While the rest of the room was in some awe, Eric held the floor with what I came to learn was characteristic panache.
"His message, learned from the success of Bristol’s first fundraising campaign, was clear – for universities to fundraise for the benefit of their students and research was not only desirable, but essential.
“Not long after this, I was offered the role of Director of Advancement at Eric’s alma mater and knew that there would be no better Chair for the Campaign for Newcastle University than the godparent of professional philanthropy in higher education, Sir Eric himself.
“I am one of countless people to have been guided by Eric. I don’t think he minded when I failed to understand football and golf metaphors. I do think he felt proud to have helped launch an initiative that will create countless opportunities for future generations of Newcastle students. He will be greatly missed."