Quick Facts
CapricornBiography
Walter Birmingham (January 4, 1913 – August 16, 2004) was an educationist and economist who served as the warden of Toynbee Hall. He also worked on economic planning for West Africa in the post-colonial era.
Early life
Birmingham was born in Firozpur, India, in 1913.
He took night classes at the London School of Economics, obtaining a degree in economics.
Career
Birmingham taught at several British, African, and American universities and was involved in economic development planning for West Africa.
He was professor of economics at the University of Lesotho.
Toynbee Hall
In 1964, Birmingham was appointed warden of the Victorian charity Toynbee Hall, which had fallen on hard times.
Soon after taking post, he took on the disgraced former government minister John Profumo as a volunteer. Profumo would continue to support Toynbee Hall for decades, eventually becoming chairman of the charity.
Personal life
He married twice with a son and a daughter from his first marriage and two sons and one daughter from the second.
A sculpture of Birmingham by Betty Jukes is housed at Toynbee Hall.