William Eric Kinloch Anderson

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Sir William Eric Kinloch Anderson, KT FRSE (born 27 May 1936) is Provost of Eton College. Dr Eric Anderson was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh and gained a first class honours degree in English at the University of St. Andrews, where he was awarded an Honorary DLitt in 1981. He took a D.Phil at Balliol College, Oxford when he was in his 20s. His thesis was on the novels of Sir Walter Scott. It is said that Sir Eric shares the romantic right-wing views of Scott.

[edit] Early career

In his early career, Anderson taught at Fettes College, Edinburgh, and at Gordonstoun, where he taught Prince Charles. He moved to be headmaster at Abingdon School (1970-75), then Shrewsbury School (1975-80). More recently he was Head Master of Eton College (1980-94) and Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford (1994-2000).

At Fettes, he was Prime Minister Tony Blair's housemaster. Blair subsequently named Anderson in a 1997 advertising campaign run by the Teacher Training Agency entitled 'No one forgets a good teacher'. Because Anderson was Head Master of Eton while David Cameron was there, he is in the unique position of having been involved in the education of the heir to the British throne and the leaders of the two biggest British political parties.

Between 1998 and 2001 he was Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund. He is an authority and published author on the novels of Sir Walter Scott and recently served on the advisory board for the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley novels. His edition of The Journal of Sir Walter Scott was published in 1972. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1985 and in November 2002 he was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Thistle.

His other positions include: Visitor at Harris Manchester College, Oxford; Member of the Visiting Committee of Harvard University Memorial Church; trustee of the Royal Collection Trust.