Legacy giving

Maxwell Tyler 28 August 1933 – 5 January 2018

For many years Max Tyler was the historian and archivist of the British Music Hall Society. He wrote regularly for ‘The Stage’ and ‘The Call Boy’ (the magazine of the British Music Hall Society) and was co-editor of ‘Music Hall Studies’. Max looked after the British Music Hall Society’s own large archive of theatrical memorabilia but also built up his own substantial personal collection of books, ephemera, research notes, and audiovisual recordings relating to the British Music Hall tradition. The Max Tyler collection contains material spanning from the late 19th century to the early 21st century.

Maxwell Tyler Legacy

During his lifetime, Max was in touch with the University and made arrangements to gift his Music Hall collection to the University of Kent’s Special Collections and Archives through his will. The collection contains material spanning from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. In June 2018 the University accepted the gift along with a planned financial legacy to support the work needed to make the collection accessible to a wide range of audiences, including researchers.

Dr Helen Brooks from the School of Arts was delighted to hear we had received the collection and we are now in discussions about how we can use the collections to support the University’s Education and Research programmes as well as finding ways to engage non-academic communities with the riches that survive within the collection.

Leaving a legacy

In recent years, the University has been honoured to receive legacy gifts and pledges from a variety of alumni, friends and former staff. For example, the late Professor Molly Mahood, a former member of staff in the School of English and Honorary Graduate, remembered the University of Kent through her will. The gift from Molly is available to help students in hardship at Rutherford College. We are extremely grateful to Molly for planning this gift as it provides a safety net for those students who might otherwise feel unable to continue with education.

No matter how small or large, legacies are transforming lives at Kent; their impact is not only life-enhancing, but can be life-changing. From supporting scholarships and hardship bursaries through the Kent Opportunity Fund or establishing their own award to funding research or specialist equipment, legacies can make a real difference.

If you would like to consider remembering the University of Kent through your will please do let us know so that we can help you consider the fulfillment of your wishes. Our Planned Giving Officer, Jenny Richardson, would be delighted to hear from you either to notify her of your intention to remember the University or to discuss your thoughts in confidence. Jenny can be contacted on 01227 823588 or J.Richardson@kent.ac.uk.

More information can be can be found on our website: www.kent.ac.uk/legacies.