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John Musson
John Nicholas Whittaker Musson was born in Ripon on the 2nd of October 1927, the second of two brothers. His father was a doctor. He was educated at Clifton College, during the war, and then served in Austria for the Lancashire Fusiliers (1945-1948). Following his History MA at Brasenose (1948-1951), John joined the Colonial Service in Northern Nigeria as District Officer and Lecturer at the Institute of Administration. In 1961 John embarked on a teaching career at Canford, where he served as Assistant Master and House Master of Franklin House. They were happy and successful years at Canford, with many friendships made and three further children. From 1972 (until 1987) John was Warden of Glenalmond College, and he successfully steered Glenalmond through difficult economic times and is remembered as a strong, effective and practical leader.
Later in life John was a governor of both Clifton College and George Watson’s College. He was also deeply committed to the work of Mercy Corps/Scottish European Aid, as Director and Trustee from 1996 to 2000, in the field as Country Director of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1998/1999 and as Vice-Chairman of Mercy Corps Europe from 2000 to 2007.
John passed away quietly in Edinburgh on the 2nd of July 2021. He will be remembered as a man of decency, who treated people from all walks of life with respect and did not suffer fools gladly. John’s infectious sense of humour will also be much missed. His wife, Ann, passed away in 2004, but he is fondly remembered by his four children (Caroline, Clare, Katie and Richard) and many of his former colleagues and pupils.
