Roger Griffin

This page contains material relating to the life and work of my father Roger Griffin, self-styled academic workaholic and Emeritus Professor of Observational Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK.

I think you are abominably selfish & damnably foolish. — Roger’s Aunt Nella Leach, in a letter dated 1 Feb 1961

Roger’s Memorial Service was held at noon in Chapel on 14 May 2022. The audio recording of the service has kindly been made available by the College. Two textual elements from the service are also available below on this page:
1. Roger Griffin’s letter/travel-log from Hawaii, from which I read an extract;
2. Roger Griffin: A Reflection which Rupert read.
Professor Griffin’s unpublished scientific data are being published on (or via) this website as time permits.
Roger Griffin’s list of publications has been finalised. Quite a sizeable proportion of these publications are also actually accessible via ‘adsabs’.
Roger’s Obituary in the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society was written by my mother, Dr. Elizabeth Griffin, who collaborated scientifically with Roger for some 57 years — as well as collaborating with him genetically to produce my brother and me!
Roger and the Cambridge 36-inch reflecting telescope — an expansive illustrated account of Roger Griffin’s career-long involvement with the 36-inch telescope, and its mirror and dome, at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge.
‘Lunacy’: Roger Griffin’s Midnight Moonlight Meadows Path runs to Grantchester — an account of how Roger fulfilled a long-held ambition to go on an amusing/daft/enterprising outing, when already into his eighth decade.
Roger Griffin’s letter/travel-log from Hawaii, 1973 — a personal account from one of Roger’s six adventurous holidays in Hawaii, in which he battled exposure to the elements in a rainstorm on an all-day hike up Mauna Loa, and survived to ponder the desolate beauty and solitude of life at its summit. Richly illustrated with his own photographs.
Roger Griffin: A Reflection — a description of Roger the man, of the extraordinary life he lived for 85 years and his unwavering dedication to scientific research. This page comprises the Address which was read at Roger’s memorial service.
Roger Griffin’s London Marathons — Roger ran his first London Marathon at the age of 60, and went on to run a further ten. This page tells part of the story of these, and of some of his many other races and runs.
Roger Griffin, lost in the Sinai desert — Roger wrote this tale in 2005, after partaking of a group visit to the Sinai desert during which he got himself comprehensively lost… and found! I have added my own analysis, based largely on finding some additional photos and doing a lot of sleuthing with aerial photos.

Roger Griffin

1935 – 2021