N.Z. UNIVERSITY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 84, 6 October 1931, Page 9

N.Z. UNIVERSITY

REPRESENTATIVE AT HOME

MR. J. W. JOYNT TO RETIRE

Graduatos of the University of New Zealand in many parts of tho world will hear with regret, says tho August issue of tho "New Zealand News," of the approaching retirement of the university's representative in England, Mr. J. W. Joynt, M.A., who has acted in that capacity for twenty-one years. His connection with the Dominion began fifty years ago when he went out after a bad breakdown in health while sitting for his fellowship examination at Trinity College, Dublin. He was encouraged to remain in Now Zealand by his close friend, the late Sir Robert Stout. Mr. Joynt's career at Trinity College was extraordinarily brilliant. His decade included an exceptional number of scholarship men who afterwards rose to eminence in various spheres. His name was probably the most distinguished of all, with the single exception of J. B. Bury. Others, like Lord Carson, the late Lord Glenavy, and Archbishop Crozier, outstripped him in public life, for his career was greatly affected by the illness which compelled him to go abroad when his fellowship was all but within his grasp. Mr. Joynt had entered Trinity from Sautry School by winning the first place in the classical sizarship list —a severe test for students of not too abundant means who have in them the making of a scholar. A classical scholarship soon followed, and lie went forward from one success to another, till lie graduated with a double first in classics and mentar and moral philosophy. He had already won the vice-chancellor's prize and tho Berkeley gold medal for the highest distinctions in classical scholarship and double honours in every one of tho terminal subjects in which .he competed during his four years' residence, finally obtaining tho university studentship for the highest place in the list of moderators in 1877. As auditor of the College Historical Society, he was in the chair at that society's annual meeting when Lord Randolph Churchill achieved one of his earliest oratorical triumphs. The Historical and Philosophical Societies awarded him their gold medals for oratory and history. In New Zealand Mr. Joynt was tor ten years principal of Nelson College, and later examined for tho university in modern languages, as well as being lecturer in German at Victoria College, Wellington. Later, lie was for eleven years Registrar of the University. In 1910 he came to London to act as the university representative. Here he was in intimate touch with the Senate and with the constant stream of men and women graduates who came to Europe to pursue their studies. Friend and counsellor to all, he has also had tue onerous task of organising the setting and marking of examination papers tor the advanced stages of the New Zealand degrees. In this capacity he became well known to most of the leading men of the universities of Britain, many ot whom have acted as examiners to the University of New Zealand, and were thus in frequent communication witli the London office at 88, Gower street, W.C.I. ' •-,,,' T. at Mr. Joynt is succeeded by Dr. A. J. Harrop, who was senior scholar in history of the University of New Zealand in 1921. After graduating M.A. with first-class honours in history, he came to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, completing the Ph.D degree in 1925? Ho is the author of "The Romance of Westland," "The Amazing Career of Edward Gibbon Wakefield," and "England and New Zealand, "and is also a contributor to tlie Cambridge History of the British Empire, now m course of publication.