Peter Swinnerton-Dyer

1927-2018

Peter Swinnerton-Dyer died on 26 December 2018 at the age of 91. He was the son of Sir Leonard Schroeder Swinnerton Dyer, 15th Baronet, and his wife Barbara, daughter of Hereward Brackenbury. He was a Fellow of Trinity College, Master of St Catharine's College and vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1979 to 1983. In 1983 he was made an Honorary Fellow of St Catharine's and Chairman of the University Grants Committee and then from 1989, Chief Executive of the Universities Funding Council. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1967 and was made a KBE in 1987. In 2006 he was awarded the Sylvester Medal. In 1981, he was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Science) by the University of Bath.
Peter Swinnerton-Dyer was, in his younger days, an international bridge player, representing the British team twice in the European Open teams championship. In 1953 at Helsinki he was partnered by Dimmie Fleming (the only occasion a woman played on the British Open team): the team came second out of fifteen teams. In 1962 he was partnered by Ken Barbour; the team came fourth out of twelve teams at Beirut.

He will be sadly missed and we send our condolences to his family.

Major International Appearances

Camrose Trophy, representing England: 1963 vs Northern Ireland; 1961 vs Wales; 1954 vs Northern Ireland; 1953 vs Wales; 1951 vs Republic of Ireland

Crockford's winner: 1953 and 1954

The Gold Cup winner: 1963

Tollemache Trophy winner: 1963