He’s far to modest to mention it himself so thanks to Jerry Woods, of Lisbon and Back for a Fiver fame, for making us aware of a story that was published in The Courier yesterday. William Allan, a former Fife schoolboy with a love for languages has recently been made Professor of Greek studies at Oxford University and there’s a Celtic connection.
William, who attended Glenrothes High School between 1982 and 1988, has been awarded the coveted post at University College, Oxford, the largest and most famous university faculty specialising in classical studies.
“I’m delighted to be given the position which is a huge honour,” William said. He is a former Edinburgh University graduated who has lectured in Germany and at the prestigious Harvard University in America. “Already being an assistant associate professor here at Oxford I applied for the position internally, but considering it attracts applications from around the world I wasn’t sure I’d be successful,” he admitted.
William is from Cardenden and The Courier noted he is not from an academic family. “We never had any books at home and no one in the family had ever gone to university before, but while it may have been a difficult home life, school was always a happy place for me and I soon realised I had a love of languages,” the new Oxford Professor said.
“I was taught Latin and German, then added Greek and eventually also took to learning Hebrew in the school lunch hour.
“I must attribute my success in later life to original Glenrothes High School language teachers David Potter, Charlie Wallace and Dave Neilson who really set me on the road academically and instilled their love of languages and learning in me.”
And William’s remarkable success comes as no surprise to David Potter himself. Speaking to The Courier, the Celtic Historian had this to say about his former star pupil, who he reckons was the most gifted pupil among many thousands that he taught during a remarkable 34 years as a teacher at Glenrothes.
“It’s wonderful to see William go on and do so well,” David Potter said. “It was noticeable very quickly that William had a talent for languages and while I’ve been blessed to have taught some bright youngsters William’s achievements are astonishing and very much deserved.
“To become Professor of Greek at Oxford after the career he’s had and the academic books he’s written and published over the years, is the pinnacle in that sphere of learning, it’s a position recognised and respected around the world.”
Well done to David’s star pupil and of course to the teacher himself – we’ve very lucky to have him as part of our team at The Celtic Star.
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