I must first thank you, very sincerely, for re-electing me as your President; I am just past mid-career of the normal tenure of the office. Still more warmly I thank you for re-electing the officers who make my work possible.

I had thought that this might be a quiet year, in which we might sit back and think. It has been anything but that. You will all remember the sudden and unexpected death of Philip Corder, our Assistant Secretary, only a few weeks after our last Anniversary Meeting. He had been our Assistant Secretary since 1943; and, as aide to Mr. Kingsford, then in failing health, had in fact had charge of much of our business for some years before that. He was a distinguished Romano-British archaeologist in his own right—his tenure of the Presidency of the Royal Archaeological Institute is testimony enough—and his long experience as Editor of our publications had given him a wide knowledge in many fields. His geniality and friendliness had made him widely beloved among our Fellows; his training courses had made him revered by the younger generation. We all mourn him. He will not soon be forgotten under this roof.