On 30 April 2024, the largest room in the College’s beautiful Old Library complex was named in honour of the philosopher Gareth Evans OA, 1946 to 1980. The audience included friends and contemporaries of Gareth Evans; academics who owe much to his legacy; Antonia Phillips, who married Evans just before he died; and his sister, Elaine Evans. All were treated to a moving talk by Professor Ian Phillips of Johns Hopkins University, who is currently writing a biography of Gareth Evans. Holding the audience spellbound, Ian Phillips shared the story of Evans’s short but brilliant life, which was filled with adventure, mischief and astonishing academic achieve- ments, and which ended in an untimely manner, cut short by cancer, when he was just 34 years old. Following the talk, visitors enjoyed an exhibition con- taining samples of Evans’s work alongside other more surprising pieces, including stern school reports from his days as a Dulwich boy and letters from renowned figures such as the philosopher Noam Chomsky. The ceremony was a chance to celebrate Evans’s profound legacy, with several student attendees deepening their understanding of this philosophical prodigy. ◉ LANGUAGE, LOGIC, & LEGACY: REMEMBERING GARETH EVANS OA A ceremony honouring the philosopher’s life and work offered valuable insights into his legacy, say Henry Gooderham and Alexandros Hall (both Year 12)
Evans joined Dulwich in 1957 as part of the Dulwich Experiment, through which subsidised places were offered by the London County Council to the most academically talented boys
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