A forgotten Edwardian lecturer in the Classical Department of the University of Sheffield-J. H. Sleeman.

What a fabulous name for a lecturer in Classics-just say it aloud and think of Troy! J. H. Sleeman seems to have taught and researched into the Classics with great industry. He was as much concerned with explaining texts on a basic level (his edition of Caesar-see below) as providing research tools for the understanding of more esoteric authors (his lexicon to Plotinus). Here is his obituary from The Times showing that he survived to a good age (82):

From The Times of January 5th 1963
 
Professor J. H. Sleeman, Professor Emeritus of Classics in the University of Londlon, died yesterday in hospitaL at Penzance at the age of 82. John Herbert Sleeman was born on February 4. 1880 and brought up at Bristol. He was a scholar of Emmanuel Colege, C ambridge, where he read classics, and later a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College. After lecturing for some Years at Sheffield he became in 1918 Lecturer and a little later University Professor of Classics at Royal Holloway Colege, University of London, where he remained till his retirement in 1946, He took a full part in the affairs of the college, being an early staff representative on the governing body and a president of the local association of university teachers. In later years he was regarded with much respect on the Classical Board of Studies and Board of Examiners in the university. He was always a devoted and successful teacher of every type of pupil, very patient and accurate alike with the weak general and the good honours student, who all benefited by his ripe scholarship. He did valuable work also with post-graduates. His kindness and quiet humour endeared him both to colleagues and to students to whom he and his wife were always verv hospitable and helpful. His health was not strong and while bv husbanding his forces he contrived always to fulfil his teaching and administrative duties it was, to some extent. at the expense of publication. although among his published work was Tacitus. Agricola and Germania (1914). His special interest lay in Neo-Platonism and after his retirement he completed an index to Plotinus. This was accepted for publication but he fore- saw that it would not appear in his life- time. In 1918 he married Dorothy, daughter of Mrs. William Thorpe, of Chesterfield. PROF. J. IL SLEEMAN