Mr John W.I. Jenkin (Wye College 1949)

Provided by Keith Jenkin

John Jenkin came from a long line of farmers, firstly in Cornwall and latterly in Sussex where his grandfather settled in 1907. After Hurstpierpont College, John went to Wye in 1945. His father's early death in 1946 caused him to take a year out to help on the family farm. In 1948, as Captain of Athletics, he represented the College by taking part in the Olympic torch relay team, running three miles into Canterbury.

After a few years farming he ran the family dairy business in Brighton and subsequently took on a number of overseas assignments in Zambia, Arabia and finally in Muscat as Agricultural Adviser to the Sultan. His wife's ill health, and finally his own, restricted his work latterly but he was very involved in introducing computerised bidding systems for the farming and allied industries. He also contributed many articles in farming and dairy journals. He died suddenly on 25 May 2006.