Alumnus John Pomeroy (BSc Chemistry, 1954 and PhD in Chemistry, 1957) turned 90 in February 2024 and has taken the time to reflect on some of the key moments of his life, which includes his studies at the University of Exeter.
John grew up in Totnes and he was the first in his family to attend university. From the age of 17 he studied Chemistry from 1951 – 54 at the University before going on to study for his PhD in Chemistry. When John graduated in 1957, he was jointly one of the first three students to ever be awarded a PhD from the then new University of Exeter (alongside Vincent John Jennings and Kenneth Gill Lewis). Exeter since then has stayed in the family, with 42 years later his son Duncan heading here to study MEng Electrical & Electronic Engineering (1997).
Thinking back to his studies at Exeter in the 1950s, John recalls that the University was very different both in terms of its culture and the physical layout of the campus compared to the present day. It was also an austere time, very few students had a car, a few had motorcycles and most had bicycles to get around.
It was a time of real change for John with lots of new experiences including sharing accommodation with other students from a variety of backgrounds. John says, “I stayed in Mardon Hall from my second year which was an experience I really enjoyed. It was also interesting being in halls at this time as there were almost, to an extent, two groups of students. At the time all men were eligible for National Service, and you had a choice of which one – the services or university – you decided to do first. Having the ex-service group in halls created a kind of mature and worldly-wise atmosphere that probably doesn’t exist to the same extent today.”
“Life is an education and a thinking process too. If you aren’t prepared to change, you’ll submerge.”
When he wasn’t spending time in the labs, getting used to halls and exploring Exeter, John spent a lot of time working and this included a variety of jobs such as working at the Post Office at Christmas and cycling to work at Paignton Zoo in the summer whilst living in Totnes. Recalling this time, his job at Paignton Zoo particularly sticks out: “It was great fun really, partly because of the variety of responsibilities. I’d be at the cafeteria one day, the car park the next and running a kiosk as well. And on one occasion I was allowed to drive the little train that ran around! This was very much during my undergraduate years as I didn’t have as much time when studying for my PhD, as I wanted to get it done right and worked during the vacation. I loved working on my PhD, and it was a real pleasure to learn and undertake research.”
After his six years at Exeter, John graduated from his PhD in 1957 and as he was one of the first three students to receive a PhD from the University, he felt quite apprehensive at the time, as well as excited to explore what life had in store for him next. Remembering back to his graduation, John says it was “quite interesting actually but we were worrying about it a lot, as it felt like a big moment but also Exeter was a new university at the time. Both of those worries were unfounded. The ceremony was held in the Washington Singer Labs with the then Chancellor: Mary Alice Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, GCVO, CBE presenting the degrees.”
Following university, John’s career involved National Service with a government research facility and time in the 60s with Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) developing the then modern man-made fibres for textiles and clothing, before travelling the world buying textiles. John then spent over 40 years in academia and he still works part time in higher education to this day.
We also wanted to find out what were some of the important lessons that John had learnt throughout his life and he said, “I’m certainly not in the business of giving advice to people but I think that there are two things I’ve learned. The first is to choose the right degree to open pathways. The second is it’s a lifelong learning process and don’t be afraid to change. Life is an education and a thinking process too. If you aren’t prepared to change, you’ll submerge.”
With Exeter playing such a key part in John’s history and John also being part of the University’s history, it’s clear as a place it holds a special connection over the years. John says, “It means a lot to me because I spent six very informative years at Exeter and what I did there completely changed the course of my life. There have been certain decisions and opportunities I’ve been able to take simply because of my time at Exeter.”
As part of his birthday celebrations, John enjoyed a surprise celebration on Streatham Campus in February, joined by his children and grandchildren, and revisited some of his favourite haunts from his studies.
