James Tower 1919-1988 (BAA 1949-64) Born in Sheerness, Kent. Travelled to Tahiti, and South Seas aged 17. 1938-40 studied Painting and Illustration, Royal Academy Schools and 1946-49 Slade, after War service. 1949 illustrated The Farm Theotime by Henri Bosno. Became interested in ceramics through William Newlands and attended classes at the Central School of Arts & Crafts under Dora Billington. At London Institute through Clarence Weight met Clifford Ellis who shared Tower’s admiration for the English tradition of tinglazed and slipware decoration at a time when Leach was drawing his inspiration from the East. Tower was also interested in Picasso’s ceramic work at Valluris. Invited to teach BAA September 1949; one of few full-time staff. Set up Pottery in old stables at Beechfleld, and taught all aspects of ceramics including technology; took students to local excavations. Colleagues including Rosemary Ellis, Peter Lanyon, William Scott, Howard Hodgkin and Peter Potworowski all worked in the Pottery under his supervision. Potworowski introduced him to Gimpel Fils who first exhibited his work in 1951 (regularly to 1988). 1953- 57 assisted by John Eaves. From c.l959 he and Ellis devised a scheme of sculpture in relation to architecture, his students executed mosaics and worked with architectural students in Bath studios. 1963 awarded Leverhulme Research Award for terracotta research and had one-man exhibition of unglazed terracottas at Gimpel Fils; became increasingly interested in sculptured forms until the late 1970s when he returned to decorated forms. 1966-86 Head of Sculpture Department, Brighton Polytechnic. 1967 one-man exhibition Gardner Centre, University of Sussex. 1979 one-man show Art Latitude, New York. 1978 exhibited his ceramics at Gimpel Fils, after long absence. 1981 included in Making Good (South East Arts). 1985 Artist Potters Now Crafts Council. 1988 Craft Classics since the 1940s, Crafts Council. An essay by James Tower was published after his death in The Designer-Craftsman, no. 62. May 1988.