Mr Philip Carne MBE elected as Magdalene Pepys Benefactor Fellow

The College is delighted to announce that Mr Philip Carne MBE (1958) was elected as a Magdalene Pepys Benefactor Fellow.

He joined Magdalene in 1958 to study Modern and Medieval Languages and, after Magdalene, had a lengthy career at Johnson & Johnson, serving as the Company Group Chairman.

Sir Christopher Greenwood, Master of Magdalene, said:

"Philip Carne has been a very loyal friend and supporter of Magdalene and of generations of our students for many years. It is with the greatest pleasure that we welcome him to the Fellowship in recognition of all that he has done."

In memory of his son, he founded The Richard Carne Trust in October 2006. The trust's main goal has been to support young, talented individuals in the performing arts, particularly in the fields of music and theatre. Collaborating with five major music and acting academies, The Richard Carne Trust has granted bursaries and financial assistance to more than 300 aspiring musicians, singers, actors, and playwrights over the years.

In recognition of his and his wife’s philanthropic efforts, he was made an Honorary Member of The Royal College of Music in 2011. A year later, they both became Honorary Fellows of The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, making them the first couple to receive such recognition in the college's history. In December 2013, the Carnes were awarded the Prince of Wales Medal for Philanthropy in The Arts. They were nominated by the five academies they had supported over the past eight years and received their medals from Prince Charles at a ceremony held at St James Palace. Philip Carne received an MBE in 2015 and the Robert Maskrey Award for Philanthropy in the Arts in Wales in 2018.

He is a long-term, committed supporter of Magdalene, having generously supported the College since 1994. He has long supported students by funding a variety of bursaries, thus ensuring that they are able to make the most of collegiate Cambridge during their time at Magdalene. He has funded access and outreach programmes determined to help raise the aspirations of those who, like him, come from areas traditionally under-represented at Cambridge. He has supported various capital projects, including Phase II of the Cripps Building on Chesterton Road, now known as Edwards Court, and the New Library. Most recently, he created a generous Fund in support of the Year Abroad to help ensure that no one is deterred from studying languages because of the additional costs associated with the Year Abroad. His philanthropic engagement with Magdalene has been truly transformative for the College, and we look forward to welcoming Mr Carne to the Fellowship upon his admission next term.