Bellot, H. Hale, 1890-1969

Hugh Hale Leigh Bellot was born on 26 January 1890 and received his early education at Bedales School and then went to Lincoln College Oxford with a scholarship. He became master at the Battersea Polytechnical Secondary School and later at the Bedales School and then, in 1915, he was appointed a clerk at H. M. Customs and Excise where he remained until the end of the First World War.

In 1921, on being appointed an assistant in the department of History at University College London, Bellot began an association with the University of London that was to continue until the end of his life in 1969. He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1926 but moved to the University of Manchester in 1927 to become Reader in Modern History. In 1930, however, he returned to the University of London as Professor of American History, a post that he held until 1955. This period of tenure was broken occasionally as Bellot became Sir George Watson lecturer in 1938 at Birmingham and between 1940 and 1944 when he acted as Principal at the Board of Trade. He was finally given the title. 'Professor Emeritus of American History at the University of London', and awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University. He was a fellow of University College London and an honorary fellow of Lincoln College Oxford.

Bellot's involvement in the running of the University of London began with his election to the Senate in 1938 (until 1956). He was elected to the Court in 1948 (to 1953) and was Chairman of the Academic Council between 1948 and 1951. This promotion culminated with his election as Vice-Chancellor in 1951 for a two-year term. He was latterly a Member of Council for Westfield College, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School and University College, Ibadan.

Other positions held included being honorary secretary of the Royal Historical Society between 1934 and 1952 and President from 1952 to 1956