Denys Page


Sir Denys Lionel Page, FBA was a British classical scholar at Oxford and Cambridge universities. He was President of the British Academy from 1971 to 1974 and President of Cambridge University Cricket Club between 1971 and 1973.

Early life

On 11 May 1908, Page was born in Reading, Berkshire, England. Page's father was Frederick Harold Dunn Page, a chartered civil engineer of the Great Western Railway, and his mother was Elsie Daniels.
Page was educated at St. Bartholomew's School, and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he was taught by Gilbert Murray, and J. D. Denniston. In 1928, he won the Craven and De Paravicini scholarships, the Chancellor's Prize for Latin verse and the Gaisford Prize for Greek verse and a first class in classical honours moderations.
In 1930 he was awarded a First in Literae Humaniores. He was a fast bowler in the Christ Church cricket team.

Career

Page went for a year to the University of Vienna as Derby scholar, where he worked under Ludwig Radermacher, then returned to Christ Church as a lecturer, the next year becoming Student and Tutor. In 1937 he became Junior Censor.
In 1939 Page was posted to GC&CS, Bletchley Park. In 1942 he became head of section ISOS and a member of the XX Committee. In 1944 he was an Assistant Director, GC&CS.
Page was elected the 34th Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge University in 1950, a position he held until 1974, and held a professorial fellowship at Trinity College. He was Master of Jesus College, Cambridge from 1959 to 1973. He was knighted in 1971.
Elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1952, he received its Kenyon Medal in 1969, and served as the Academy's president from 1971 to 1974.

Personal life

In 1939, Page married Katharine Elizabeth Dohan in Rome. She was the daughter of Joseph Michael Dohan and Edith Hall Dohan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They had four daughters.

Publications