Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1935 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Name of creator
Biographical history
Edward Denison Ross was born in London in 1871. He was educated at Marlborough College and University College, London, before going to Paris and Strasbourg to study languages. In 1896 he was appointed Professor of Persian at University College London and remained there until 1901 when he took up an appointment as Principal of the Calcutta Madrasah Muslim College, the city's chief educational centre for teaching Arabic and Persian. In 1911, this role was combined with that of Officer in Charge of the Records of the Government of India and Assistant Secretary in the Department of Education. In 1914 Dension Ross returned to the UK and became First Assistant at the British Museum, working in the Prints and Drawings Department cataloguing the Stein Collection. Denison Ross became the first Director of the School of Oriental Studies (later the School of Oriental and African Studies) in 1916, remaining as such until his retirement in 1938. He was a brilliant linguist having a working knowledge of over 40 languages.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The material in this series includes correspondence regarding the conferment of the medal, regarding the purchasing and making of the medal, regarding the medal's presentation to Denison Ross, and to Press agencies and newspapers. There are also some newspaper cuttings.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Sub-series were created to reflect the different material:
- RAS TGM/14/1 - Correspondence regarding conferment of the Medal
- RAS TGM/14/2 - Correspondence regarding purchase of the Medal
- RAS TGM/14/3 - Correspondence regarding the Presentation
- RAS TGM/14/4 - Correspondence with Press Agencies
- RAS TGM/14/5 - Newspaper cuttings
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Script of material
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Finding aids
Allied materials area
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In the Council Minutes for 14 February 1935, it was noted that the Committee, nominated by the President for the Society's Gold Medal, was approved and in the Minutes for 14 March 1935, it was recorded that tje Gold Medal was unanimously awarded to Sir Denison Ross.
In the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 1935 (3), pp. 609-619, there is a report of The Presentation of the Gold Medal.