# Will Spens

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Scottish educationalist and academic

This article is about the educationalist. For the Chief Justice of India, see [Patrick Spens, 1st Baron Spens](/source/Patrick_Spens%2C_1st_Baron_Spens). For his son, the peer, see [William Spens, 2nd Baron Spens](/source/William_Spens%2C_2nd_Baron_Spens).

**Sir William Spens**, [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) (31 May 1882 – 1 November 1962) was a Scottish educationalist, academic and Master of [Corpus Christi College, Cambridge](/source/Corpus_Christi_College%2C_Cambridge).[1]

## Life

Born in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow) on 31 May 1882,[2] one of four sons of John Spens and Sophia Nicol, Spens was educated at [Rugby](/source/Rugby_College)[3] and [King's College, Cambridge](/source/King's_College%2C_Cambridge), graduating in [natural sciences](/source/Natural_sciences). Elected a [Fellow](/source/Fellow) of [Corpus Christi College, Cambridge](/source/Corpus_Christi_College%2C_Cambridge) in 1907, he spent the rest of his working life in Cambridge, apart from [wartime service](/source/World_War_I) between 1915 and 1918 with the [Foreign Office](/source/Foreign_Office), for which he was awarded the [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1919, was made a chevalier of the [Légion d'honneur](/source/L%C3%A9gion_d'honneur) by the French and appointed an officer of the [Crown of Italy](/source/Order_of_the_Crown_of_Italy).[1]

Elected [Master](/source/Master_(college)) of [Corpus](/source/Corpus_Christi_College%2C_Cambridge) in 1927[4] he was [Vice Chancellor](/source/Vice_Chancellor) of the University of Cambridge from 1931 to 1933 and then chaired the consultative committee of the [Board of Education](/source/Board_of_Education_(United_Kingdom)) (known in retrospect as the Spens Report[5]) which recommended the tri-partite split of secondary schooling into grammar, technical and modern varieties.[6]

During the Second World War he was Regional Commissioner for [Civil Defence](/source/Civil_Defence) for the Eastern Region, which prompted and exacerbated rumours that the cellars of [Corpus](/source/Corpus_Christi_College%2C_Cambridge) extend across (and indeed further than) the entire college campus and that the college was to be used as the centre of operations for [East Anglia](/source/East_Anglia) in the event of a German occupation.[7][8] Spens wished to maintain the high moral ground in fighting the Nazis. He opposed the use of guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines to oppose any Nazi invasion as being contrary to international convention. He objected first to the plans of SIS in June 1940 and then to the operation of the [Auxiliary Units](/source/Auxiliary_Units) - threatening to have them arrested![9]

Spens retired in 1952.

## Personal

Spens married Dorothy Teresa, daughter of [John Richardson Selwyn](/source/John_Richardson_Selwyn) in 1912; they had four children; a son and three daughters, one of whom died in infancy.[1]

Spens died on 1 November 1962.[10]

## See also

[Text of the Spens Report](https://web.archive.org/web/20100406010840/http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/spens/)

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-odnb_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-odnb_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-odnb_1-2) Gosden, Peter (2004). ["Spens, Sir William \[Will\] (1882–1962)"](http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-36214). *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/ref:odnb/36214](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F36214). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-861412-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-861412-8). Retrieved 2 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** 1962 Burke’s Peerage p. 1368

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Who was Who" 1897–2007](/source/Who's_Who) London, [A & C Black](/source/A_%26_C_Black), 2007 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-954087-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-954087-7)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [The Times](/source/The_Times), Wednesday, 3 October 1928; p. 21; Issue 44701; col A *University News, New Term Begun at Cambridge*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Education Resources Information Center](https://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ165353&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ165353). Eric.ed.gov. Retrieved 2012-06-04.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** *A History of English Education, from 1760* Barnard, H.C: London, University of London Press, 1961

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Corpus Christi College, Cambridge](http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/cambridgeshire/az/cambridge/corpus-christi-college.htm). Britainexpress.com (17 January 2007). Retrieved 2012-06-04.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Wine Cellars](http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/about-corpus/maps-and-tours/take-a-virtual-tour/216). Corpus.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2012-06-04.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Atkin, Malcolm (2015). *Fighting Nazi Occupation: British Resistance 1939 - 1945*. Pen and Sword. p. 7. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-47383-377-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-47383-377-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** *Sir Will Spens – Servant of College and State* [The Times](/source/The_Times) Friday, 2 November 1962; p. 15; Issue 55538; col A

**Attribution:**

- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): "[Spens, William (1882–1962)](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Spens,_William_(1882-1962))". *[Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*. London: [Smith, Elder & Co](/source/Smith%2C_Elder_%26_Co). 1885–1900.

Academic offices Preceded by Edmund Courtenay Pearce Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 1927–1952 Succeeded by George Paget Thomson Academic offices Preceded by Allen Beville Ramsay Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge 1931–1933 Succeeded by John Forbes Cameron

Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Other Open Library Yale LUX

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