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Walter Birmingham

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Walter Birmingham
Warden of Toynbee Hall
In office
1964–1972
Preceded byJack Catchpool
Succeeded byDonald Piers Chesworth
Personal details
Born(1913-01-04)4 January 1913
Firozpur, India
Died16 August 2004(2004-08-16) (aged 91)
Alma materLondon School of Economics

Walter Birmingham (January 4, 1913 – August 16, 2004) was an educationist and economist who served as the warden of Toynbee Hall.[1] He also worked on economic planning for West Africa in the post-colonial era.[2]

Early life

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Birmingham was born in Firozpur, India, in 1913.

He took night classes at the London School of Economics, obtaining a degree in economics.[1]

Career

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Birmingham taught at several British, African, and American universities and was involved in economic development planning for West Africa.[2]

He was professor of economics at the University of Lesotho.[1]

Toynbee Hall

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In 1964, Birmingham was appointed warden of the Victorian charity Toynbee Hall, which had fallen on hard times.[2]

Soon after taking post, he took on the disgraced former government minister John Profumo as a volunteer.[3] Profumo would continue to support Toynbee Hall for decades, eventually becoming chairman of the charity.[4]

Personal life

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He married twice with a son and a daughter from his first marriage and two sons and one daughter from the second.[1]

A sculpture of Birmingham by Betty Jukes is housed at Toynbee Hall.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Eric Moonman (6 September 2004). "Walter Birmingham". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Walter Birmingham". The Times. 13 September 2004. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  3. ^ Ian Jack (18 March 2006). "The warden of Toynbee Hall". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Profumo's charity work remembered". BBC News. 10 March 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Walter Birmingham (1913–2004), Warden of Toynbee Hall (1968–1972)". Art UK. Retrieved 21 February 2022.