Memorial service for former Senior Bursar of St John’s

The memorial service will take place on 27 April

A Memorial Service for Dr Christopher Michael Paley (Chris) Johnson, M.A., Ph.D., Fellow and former Senior Bursar of St John’s College, will be held at St John’s College on 27 April 2019.

Dr Christopher Johnson died on January 5 2019, just three days short of his 88th birthday.

Dr Christopher Johnson

Born in Blackpool on January 8 1931, Dr Johnson was educated at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn before he came to Selwyn College, Cambridge, in 1950 as an undergraduate.

After completing his PhD, the talented physicist became a Fellow of Selwyn and went on to be a Bursar at Selwyn and Senior Bursar at St John’s from 1970-1991.

During his time as Senior Bursar, he first proposed the idea for the St John's Innovation Centre following a visit he made to the USA in 1984 when he visited universities and science parks, which included an innovation centre in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Upon his returning to Cambridge, he convened a small group to plan the St John’s Innovation Centre. It was the first innovation centre in Europe to focus on supporting knowledge-based businesses and it is the oldest such business incubator in the UK. 

A well-known figure in Cambridge, Dr Johnson served the community for many years holding roles at Newnham College, Darwin College, Murray Edwards College, Clare Hall and Wolfson College, as well as being a Governor of Hills Road Sixth Form College, The Leys, St Faith’s, and St John’s College School. Dr Johnson was also Chairman of the St John’s Innovation Centre, Director and Trustee of the Cambridge Arts Theatre Trust and he contributed in many, many more positions.

The memorial service will take place at 12pm on Saturday 27 April in St John's College Chapel.

Published: 15/03/19

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