Education - Sir Edward Johnston Prize
Below is Christine Ottewill’s personal dedication to her late husband Sir Edward Johnston. She reminds us how important the Sir Edward Johnston Prize would have been to him and also to his memory.
Sir Edward Johnston Prize - A personal dedication
"Edward's obituary in The Times neatly encapsulated his ethos, noting his strong belief throughout his career in the paramount importance for a professional man of integrity. The position of Government Actuary inevitably means that the holder of the post "ploughs a lonely furrow" as the saying goes. He must maintain scrupulous impartiality in his advice to the Government of the day, despite the possibility (sometimes probability!) of courting unpopularity within the profession in the private sector, and, indeed, with Government ministers. He was always prepared to stand or fall by the advice he gave, which was arrived at by careful consideration of all the relevant factors. One occasion I vividly remember when he had his head well above the parapet, and many fellow professionals voiced their disagreement with his stance, he steadfastly refused to be swayed, and was later proved to have been right. Later, many of those opposing him were generous enough to acknowledge it. He always maintained a strictly apolitical neutrality, and I can truthfully say I never knew how he voted in elections.
He took a keen interest in young people entering the profession, and was especially pleased that the career was gradually opening up to women, having hitherto been almost exclusively male. Within Governement Actuary Department (GAD) itself, he took pains to interview all the staff annually, to discuss any problems they had and what progress they were making, so that the newest junior members of the Department, as well as senior staff, had the opportunity of personal contact. I know he would have been delighted that awards will be made to students graduating from universities which offer degrees in Actuarial Science, and especially as they are all situated in the Far East, an area with which Edward's family has strong connections. His maternal grandfather, Sir Henry May, was Governor of Hong Kong, and his grandmother founded The Helena May Institute, still flourishing today, and well known to many ex-pats. Only a few days ago, I met at a dinner someone who though now returned to the UK, is a life member! Edward's mother, and her siblings, were all brought up at Government House in Hong Kong, and had many happy memories of that period in their lives.
Edward was a private man, modest, not given to 'show', but I know from the very many letters I received when he died that he was widely respected in the profession, and I hope that the new Memorial Prize in his name will be a fitting tribute."
From an email written by Christine Ottewill, August 2012
About the prize
From 2013, the Profession will make an award to the best graduating student from the actuarial programme at a number of universities in China and Singapore. These awards have been made possible due to a generous bequest from the widow of the late Sir Edward Johnston, a former Government Actuary in the UK.
See our Sir Edward Johnston Prize pages for further information