Geoffrey Cass

Sir Geoffrey Arthur Cass (born 11 August 1932) MA (Oxford), MA (Cambridge), CCMI, HonFInstD. Chairman of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust. Spent twenty years as Chief Executive of Cambridge University Press and has also been Chairman of the Royal Shakespeare Company and President of the Lawn Tennis Association.

Life

Sir Geoffrey was educated at Reid Street Infants School, Darlington, at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Darlington (Head of School), and at Jesus College, Oxford and at Nuffield College, Oxford. He was commissioned in the RAFVR in 1954, and in the RAF 1958-60 (Flying Officer). He is a Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and a member of Jesus College, Cambridge. He was the longest serving Trustee of the Cambridge University Foundation and was Chairman of the Audit Committee. He was Chairman of the Cambridge University ADC Theatre Appeal 2000-07 and of the University Sports Centre Appeal 2001-03. He is a Life Trustee of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and a member of the Trust Council, and formerly Chairman of the Audit Committee. He was Chief Executive of Cambridge University Press from 1972 to 1992, and Cambridge University Printer. Chairman of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1985 to 2000 and then Deputy President (to the Prince of Wales) from 2000 to 2011, then Emeritus Chairman 2011- He was Chairman (and co-founder) of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Trust 1983-2012. He is Chairman and co-founder of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust 2012-. He was President and Chairman of the Council of the Lawn Tennis Association from 1997 to 1999, and Chairman of the British Tennis Foundation from 2003 to 2007 and then President. He is a Vice Patron of the Almshouse Association 2018-.

He was knighted in 1992 and elected an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford in 1998. He was awarded a French Knighthood Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1982. He was a lawn tennis Blue at Oxford University (1953/4/5) and Captain of Badminton 1951/2. He was tennis Singles Champion of Durham County 1951 ,and later also Cambridgeshire County 1976. He played in the Inter-County Lawn Tennis Championships over a period of 31 years, and was Captain 1974-78 and President 1980-82 of Cambridgeshire Lawn Tennis Association. He represented the RAF in the Inter-Services Championships at Wimbledon 1958/59. A Wimbledon Championships player in 1954/55/56/59, he played the opening match of Wimbledon 1954 on the Centre Court against the Wimbledon Champion. He was British Veterans' Singles Champion at Wimbledon in 1978. Sir Geoffrey was a member of the Wimbledon Championships Management Committee for 12 years, and Chairman of the Championships Finance Committee. He was Captain and No.1 in Britain's International Veterans Dubler Cup team 1978/79 at Barcelona and Milano Marittima. He is President of Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club (and an Honorary Blue 1980-), and was a member of the University Fenner's Management Committee. Formerly, Sir Geoffrey was: Chairman of Cambridge University Cricket & Athletic Club Ltd; a member of the Cambridge University Fitzwilliam Museum Syndicate, and of the University Careers Service Syndicate (The Appointments Board); Chairman of the Governors of The Perse School for Girls, Cambridge 1978-88; President Macmillan Cancer Support, Cambridgeshire 1998-; Chief Executive of George Allen & Unwin Ltd, publishers 1967/71; Operating Consultant with PA Management Consultants 1960-65; and he held directorships of Controls & Communications Ltd, Weidenfeld Publishers Ltd, Chicago University Press, American Friends of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Method and Madness, Cambridge Theatre Company, the Theatres Trust, Marc Sinden Productions, Newcastle Theatre Royal, All England LTC (Wimbledon), and All England Lawn Tennis Ground PLC. He married Olwen (Lady Cass MBE, JP, DL) in 1957, and they have four daughters, Fiona, Karen, Miranda, Fleur, and eight grandchildren.