University College, London.—Invites him to participate in the College’s commemoration of the centenary of A. E. Housman’s birth.
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Transcript
University College London, Gower Street WC1
22nd April 1959.
Dear Mr. Symons,
This year is the one hundredth anniversary of A. E. Housman’s birth, and the month of March passed very quietly. University College, however, is postponing its celebration of the occasion until September, when it hopes to take advantage of the presence in London of some five hundred Classical scholars, who will be attending the Third International Congress of Classical Studies. In the week beginning 31st August there will be an exhibition of books and manuscripts in the College, and on September 3rd it is proposed to hold an evening reception. The Provost, Sir Ifor Evans, who is on leave of absence from the College, has put arrangements in my hands, and I am hoping to have a small dinner party to preceded the reception with a few scholars and literary men as guests.
May I invite you and Mrs. Symons to join me as guests of the College on that occasion? It would be a great pleasure if you would consent to represent the surviving descendants of A. E. Housman. {1} Believe me that he is remembered with great honour in this College. I should also appreciate it if you could tell me of any other descendants of A. E. Housman’s brothers or sisters, or any other remoter members of the Housman family.
Yours sincerely,
Eric G. Turner
N. V. H. Symons Esq., C.I.E., M.C., J.P.
Bucklands,
Lymington,
Hants.
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Typed, except the signature. ‘R. 23.4.59’, indicating the date of reply, has been added at the head in pencil.
{1] Strictly speaking, of course, A. E. Housman had no descendants. Symons was his nephew.