The Marquis de Amodio

A distinguished diplomat, accomplished fencer, generous benefactor and, in the words of one of his friends, a “cosmopolitan Englishman of impeccable manners and considerable charm”, the Marquis de Amodio (C.B.E., M.A., 1909-2003) provided for the creation of the Berrow Foundation Scholarships of Lincoln College to create further links at Oxford between Great Britain and Switzerland, a country he prized for its neutrality, philanthropy and hospitality.

Educated at Stowe School and Lincoln College, Oxford, the Marquis de Amodio dedicated his life to public service and throughout his career supported many cultural, humanitarian and academic causes, which earned him various orders and distinctions.

Himself a Half-Blue and highly skilled Captain of Fencing at Lincoln College, the Marquis believed in the capacity of sports to promote friendship and understanding between nations and people. The need for a civilized and harmonious mode of international relations had become particularly obvious to the Marquis when he was serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

In recognition of his services to the relations between the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Her Majesty the Queen promoted the Marquis de Amodio from O.B.E. (Order of the British Empire) to C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) on 13 February, 1996.

In his Tribute at the Memorial Service in Oxford in 2004, Professor Paul Langford, then Rector of Lincoln College, noted that with the help of the energy and loyalty of his wife, the Marquis had left "a monument to academic values and the public good".

Wherever philosophical insight is combined with literary genius and personal charm, one says instinctively "That man is, or ought to be, an Oxford man". - G.W. Russell

Today, the Berrow Foundation is in the able hands of the Marquise de Amodio who makes sure it continues to prosper and flourish. Her dedication and engagement made possible the opening in 2014 of the Berrow Foundation Building in Lincoln College. The Marquise is also the Honorary President of the Berrow Society.