Molly died on New Year’s Eve 2023, after a long battle with Demon, or read a story to eager grandchildren. She was an dementia. Joanna and I remember her for being a wonderful equally good friend, warm, attentive, and eager to laugh. She Mum and for being one of the trail-blazers of her generation: was at home in an airport bar in Trenton, at the Members Table we were delighted that she was still well enough in 2020 of the Century Association in Manhattan, or at the Athenaeum to celebrate the milestone of her diamond wedding and to Club on Pall Mall in London. She brought light to any room understand its significance. she entered. Bridget Micklem (née Scopes) – Somerville 1982 Joanna Rhodes (née Scopes) – St John’s 1984 Jean Aird Seglow (née Moncrie昀昀, 1955) Caroline Seebohm (1958) Jean Seglow (née Moncrieff) went up to Somerville to read PPE in 1955. Caroline was born in Nottinghamshire Her adored father, the distinguished and grew up in the English paediatrician, Sir Alan Moncrieff, countryside. She read Jurisprudence encouraged her to apply, against the at Somerville, and, soon known for advice of her boarding school who her captivating looks and magnetic believed her not capable. She loved personality, she was often compared her time at the College and made to Max Beerbohm’s bewitching several close and lifelong friends. heroine, Zuleika Dobson (although Her tutors included the distinguished JEAN SEGLOW thankfully no young gentlemen philosopher, Philippa Foot. actually threw themselves into the CAROLINE SEEBOHM After Oxford, she trained as a social worker at the LSE and river in despair). went on to work for Essex County Council and later, Camden After a short first marriage, and time in Rome, Caroline moved and Harrow Councils in London, and for National Children’s to Los Angeles to work in the film industry, and then began a Homes, always specialising in fostering and adoption. Placing writing career in London. From 1971, and a move to New York, children from troubled backgrounds with loving families she lived in America for the rest of her life. Over the next 50 brought her great fulfilment. She interspersed her practical years, Caroline had an extraordinary career as a writer for a work with a career in social research, working first for Political series of Condé Nast publications (notably House and Garden) and Economic Planning (PEP, later the Policy Studies institute), and authoring books on a variety of topics, such as gardens and and later for the National Children’s Bureau, where she was architecture. She wrote biographies of several figures, including principal author of the landmark study, Growing Up Adopted, Condé Nast (The Man Who Was Vogue), as well as two novels, published in 1971. one of which, The Last Romantics, creates characters evocative She met her husband Peter Seglow at PEP (he was later an of her Somerville contemporaries. academic sociologist) and they were married for 15 years, She met Walter Lippincott at a Super Bowl party in New York divorcing in 1980. I am their only child. When my father had in 1973 and they were married the next year. Two children, a sabbatical at the University of Illinois in the United States Sophie and Hugh, followed in 1978 and 1982. The family she became an Associate Research Professor there too, moved to Ithaca, NY, and then to Titusville, NJ, where Caroline conducting research on community mental health. She lectured stayed for the rest of her life. Walter and Caroline divorced on this topic and on adoption several times in her career. She in 1991, but remained close, celebrating holidays with their also worked for the Department of Health, monitoring the family and travelling together to Egypt, India, Antarctica, and introduction of adoption allowances introduced by the Children throughout Europe. Act (1989), and helped set up the NSPCC’s Child Protection Line on which she regularly volunteered. During the 1990s, Caroline enjoyed travel and dancing with her Jean helped establish the Somerville London Group on whose romantic partner, Tom Wright. In 1997, they bought a house committee she was active for many years. Her interests on the Delaware River, and Caroline later briefly moved to the included architecture, country rambles, choral singing (she was island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, to join Tom in his retirement. an accomplished alto) and travel. She sang Aida among the Ever the independent spirit, Caroline returned to New Jersey Pyramids in Egypt and in the Sydney Opera House too, and she in 2005, together with the last love of her life, the dog Chippy journeyed extensively in Europe, North and Central America, (adopted as a stray from Vieques). Despite floods and storms, South and South-East Asia. She got to know Thailand, through Caroline built the River House into the perfect expression of her visits to her eldest brother Tony, who lived there for many personality, and it remained her home until she died. years. She was close throughout her life to her other older A lifelong tennis player, Caroline was fond of all sports and brother, Martin, also a paediatrician. was passionate about the craft of writing. She volunteered In the last 20 years of her life, the Christian faith of her in elementary schools in Trenton, NJ, and twice spent several childhood became more important to her, and she was actively months living at the Shanti Bhavan School in Baliganapalli, India, involved in her local church. Jean had a singular personality: teaching creative reading and writing to children in need. sometimes argumentative and self-absorbed, but open She was, in addition, a wonderful mother and grandmother, minded, adventurous, and invariably kind to other people. always willing to cook for her (adult) children, play Racing She was interested in others’ lives, and approached everyone 55