Dr Martin Lowe (1940–2011)

Robert Lowe remembers Dr Martin Lowe OBE, Secretary to the University between 1990 and 2002.

Dr Martin Lowe, who served as Secretary to the University for twelve and a half years, has died after a short illness at the age of 71.

After completing a PhD in Geology at the University of St Andrews, Dr Lowe joined the British Council and was posted to Tanzania and later to India where he worked on Higher Education links with the UK.

In 1969, he returned to Scotland to take up an administrative post at the University of Strathclyde, rising to become Secretary to Senate.

In 1981, he moved to be Secretary and Registrar of the University of St Andrews.

Nine years later he was appointed Secretary to the University of Edinburgh.

He relished the scale and international aspect of the job and was deeply proud of the University and his colleagues.

Although deeply committed to Scottish education, he was very interested in issues affecting higher education worldwide and developed productive links with universities both in the UK and overseas.

Colleagues have described how his skilled leadership, diplomacy and cheerful personality earned him the admiration and respect of the professional community.

He retired in 2002 and received an OBE for services to higher education later that year.

Notes

An extended obituary will appear in the spring edition of Bulletin.