Sir Richard Jebb (1841–1905) was the outstanding British classical scholar of the second half of the nineteenth century. This memoir, published by his widow in 1907, gives a rounded picture of the man chiefly remembered today for his editions of the plays of Sophocles, but who was also instrumental in founding the British Schools of Archaeology in Athens and Rome and the British Academy, and who as a Member of Parliament for Cambridge University played a significant part in the politics of his day, especially in educational reform at both school and university level. Extracts from his letters and speeches show the energy and enthusiasm which he brought to his many roles, and a sense of humour which may not be too evident in his published work but was remembered by his students as a feature of the lectures which secured his reputation as a great teacher.
