MISC EWMF

Reference code

MISC EWMF

Title

Eton War Memorial Fund

Level

Series

Administrative / Biographical history

The Eton War Memorial Fund was formally inaugurated at a meeting of Old Etonians in Lansdowne House, London, on 28 February 1917. Discussions the previous year had already established that although a visible memorial would be erected the principal purpose of the memorial was to provide bursaries to enable the sons of those killed in the war to attend Eton even if they could not afford the fees. This idea was announced in the press on 19 July 1916 and a provisional committee was set up on 8 October, chaired by the Vice-Provost. A formal appeal was sent to the press on 19 February 1917, by which time a number of "stewards" had already been soliciting subscriptions. The appeal also envisaged the creation of an Endowment Fund with any surplus after the demand for sons' bursaries was exhausted, to continue to provide assistance for Old Etonians to educate their sons at Eton. The Fund was administered by a Council of Old Etonians, although there was College representation on it. There was a revision of the Fund's constitution in 1928 but the Council continued to administer the bursaries until 1941, by which date all the bursaries to the sons of the fallen were exhausted. The Head Master agreed to take over the administration until the end of the war, and in 1946 the management was taken over by the Executive Committee of the 1943 War Memorial Fund, with the Old Etonian Trust becoming custodian trustee of the remaining WW1 funds. In 1951, these funds and a contribution from the 1943 scheme were used to create the Eton War Memorial Bursary Fund (Head Master's Scheme) to enable the sons of Old Etonians to attend the College. In 1971 there was a meeting of the Council, now consisting only of its ex-officio members, at which (after first having co-opted an Ordinary Member to make themselves quorate) it was agreed to allow absolute discretion on all investments, but to all intents and purposes this fund has been wound up.