Ahead of his Time Memories of Sir Lionel Fox

Abstract

The British Civil Service is a constant source of amazement to Americans in its capacity to develop executive personnel with a high degree of versatility that enables them to shift from one field of work to another. Sir Lionel Fox was one who did so with exceptional adroitness and success. Although he was primarily a penologist he spent, in the middle of his career, eight years with the Metropolitan Police District. In 1942 he became Chairman of the Prison Commission and soon demonstrated that as a penologist he would follow in the tradition of the world-renowned Alexander Paterson. As a matter of fact, Sir Lionel worked closely with Paterson on the Prison Commission between 1925 and 1934 and again after 1942. He frankly acknowledged that Paterson had helped him tremendously in shaping his own thoughts and opinions on the difficult problems of prison management.