W. A. Sibly | |
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| Born | William Arthur Sibly (1882-05-14)14 May 1882 Wycliffe College, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 20 September 1959(1959-09-20) (aged 77) Pitchcombe, nearStroud, Gloucestershire, England |
| Other names | W. A. S.[1] |
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| Years active | 1906–1959 |
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William Arthur SiblyJP (14 May 1882 – 20 September 1959), also known by his initialsW. A. S., was an English headmaster, activist, and writer. Born atWycliffe College, Gloucestershire, he was educated there and atLincoln College, Oxford, and served as headmaster of Wycliffe from 1912 to 1947. A lifelongvegetarian, he carried out dietary experiments at the school and held posts in several vegetarian organisations, including the presidency of theVegetarian Society from 1938 and of theInternational Vegetarian Union from 1947 to 1953, later serving as its past president. Outside his work in education and vegetarianism he held a number of public and voluntary roles, including as a magistrate and justice of the peace, a council member of theRSPCA, an office-holder inanti-vivisection andanti-vaccination groups, a localMethodist preacher and the founding president of a cycling club.
William Arthur Sibly was born on 14 May 1882[2] atWycliffe College, Gloucestershire, less than a year after its foundation by his father, G. W. Sibly, who was its firstheadmaster.[1] He spent his childhood within the school grounds, eventually becoming its senior boy. Sibly excelled academically and athletically, earning the affection and respect of his peers. Following in his father's footsteps, he attendedLincoln College, Oxford, which were his only years away from Wycliffe until his retirement.[3] He graduated with anM.A..[4]
Sibly started teaching as an assistant master at Wycliffe in 1906. He became the Housemaster of Springfield, one of the school'sboarding houses, in 1910. In 1912, following his father experiencing an accident, he succeeded him as headmaster, at the age of 30. His early years as headmaster were challenging, especially duringWorld War I, but he managed to keep the school running smoothly despite numerous difficulties.[3]
Sibly's tenure as headmaster saw significant expansion and development at Wycliffe. He oversaw the construction of several new buildings, including the Berryfield, the Library, the Assembly Hall, and the Memorial Chapel Tower and Spire, among others. His leadership helped establish Wycliffe as a respected institution.[3]
In 1931, Sibly handed over the school to the first Council of Governors, a step he initiated. Despite this change, he continued to work with the council, contributing significantly to the school's ongoing development.[3]
A lifelongvegetarian, Sibly was deeply involved in promoting vegetarianism.[3] His father established Wycliffe in 1882, with a vegetarian ethos, offering a 10% discount on school fees to vegetarian students. In 1910, under Sibly's direction, the children at Springfield House were given a vegetarian diet as an experiment, with their physical growth and intellectual accomplishments closely monitored and compared with the non-vegetarian children.[5] Springfield appears to have maintained this practice until Sibly's death.[4]
In 1923, he attended theInternational Vegetarian Union (IVU) Congress in Sweden, where he presented a paper titled "The Work Done at Wycliffe College" on the school's vegetarian practices. Sibly remained an active participant in later IVU congresses.[4]
In 1926, he presided over a session at the London Congress, where he discussed the implementation of a vegetarian diet at Wycliffe and its approval by theNew Health Society. He also authored a pamphlet on the experiment titled "Vegetarianism and the Growing Boy",[4] which indicated that vegetarian students sustained comparable levels of achievement in scholarship and athletics over a period of 30 years to non-vegetarian students.[6]
Sibly also served as the President of theVegetarian Society, from 1938,[3] which celebrated itscentenary in 1947.[4] He was also as a vice-president of theLondon Vegetarian Society.[6]
By the 1947 IVU Congress, Sibly had become the President of IVU, a role he held until 1953. He was instrumental in reviving the IVU afterWorld War II.[4] Sibly hosted and largely organised the 11th World Vegetarian Congress in the same year at Wycliffe, where he was re-elected as IVU President.[4]
During his presidency, Sibly attended the 1950 Congress in the Netherlands, where he delivered a lantern lecture titled "A Vegetarian Wanders Around the Commonwealth", focusing onAustralasia. His leadership was marked by a vision of vegetarianism as a hope for the future of humanity, a sentiment he expressed in his opening remarks at the Congress.[4]
Upon retiring from Wycliffe in 1945, Sibly embarked on extensive travels, visiting countries such as South Africa, India, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Malaya, Kenya, the Middle East, West Africa, the United States, the West Indies, and South America. He continued to engage with the international vegetarian community and maintained strong connections with former students.[3]
After retiring as IVU President in 1953, Sibly continued to serve as Past President and remained active in the organisation. He chaired several meetings and participated in various congresses, including the 1955 Paris Congress and the 1957 Congress in India, where he was welcomed warmly and spoke on vegetarianism's impact on culture and health.[4]
In addition to his work with the IVU and the Vegetarian Society, Sibly was actively involved in public life.[3] He was a chairman of the Stonehousemagistrates[7] and was ajustice of the peace.[8] He served as a Council member of theRSPCA, and was involved with various local and national organisations,[3] including on the Executive Councils of theNational Society for the Abolition of Cruel Sports and theNational Anti-Vaccination League.[6] Sibly was also aMethodist preacher in his local area.[9]
Sibly was anon-smoker and committedteetotaler. He was also an outspoken opponent of vaccination and vivisection. A passionate cyclist, he served as the founding president of the Stonehouse Wheelers' Club.[9]
Sibly never married, instead devoting his life to his school. He was described as being somewhat eccentric.[10]
Sibly died at the Resthaven,Pitchcombe, following an operation, on 20 September 1959.[6][9][11] A memorial service was held in the Wycliffe College Chapel. conducted by Chaplain Rev. F. D. Morley, with readings by Rev. F. F. Clutterbuck, and an address by Rev. T. S. Dixon. The Wycliffe Choir led the singing. Headmaster S. G. H. Loosley, staff, and a large congregation attended, including representatives from the Gloucestershire Education Committee, Vegetarian Society,Boy Scouts Association, and other organisations associated with Sibly. Relatives were also present.[12]
Sibly's death marked the end of an era for the IVU, but his contributions to the vegetarian movement were considered to have a lasting impact. His work at Wycliffe and his leadership in the IVU helped promote vegetarianism and inspired many within the movement.[4]
Sibly Hall at Wycliffe, commemorating Sibly and his father, was opened in 1964.[13] S. G. H. Loosley's book,Wycliffe College: The First Hundred Years, 1882-1982, was dedicated to Sibly.[14]
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