A SWINDON school’s personal connection with a Nobel Prize winner was revealed in the Adver in November of 1961.

For much of the second half of the 20th century, British schoolchildren were told the story of Dr Albert Schweitzer.

He was the subject of textbooks, schools’ television programmes and assemblies.

The doctor, theologian, musician and hospital founder won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his work in what is now Gabon.

The Swindon connection was detailed in our story of 56 years ago.

We said: “The world famous philanthropist and founder of a leprosy hospital at Lamborene, French Equatorial Africa, Dr Albert Schweitzer, has sent three photographs to the pupils of Schweitzer House, Park Grammar School, Swindon.

“The photographs follow a letter written to Schweitzer House a year ago by the 86-year-old Nobel Prize winner, in which a promise was made to send them photographs.

“The photographs are to be framed and hung in the school library, where the letter is kept.

“They show the hospital courtyard, Dr Schweitzer himself and a view of three islands on the Ogowe River, 50 miles upstream from Lamborene.”

At the bottom of this image, Dr Schweitzer wrote: “It was here, on a September day in 1915, that that the idea that reverence for life is the basic principle of ethics and humanity came to me.”

He wrote in French on the picture of himself: "To the pupils of the Park Grammar School – with my best wishes.”

Park Grammar School, in Marlowe Avenue, had opened the previous year. It went on to be known as Park Senior High School from 1965 until 1983, when the selective 11-plus exam was scrapped.

Renamed Oakfield School, it remained open until 2000, when falling rolls prompted Swindon Borough Council to close it and disperse the few remaining pupils elsewhere.

The buildings then became known as Oakfield Campus, and were the headquarters of the University of Bath in Swindon project as well as being the first of the Museums of Computing.

The University of Bath pulled out in 2008.

We wonder whether the letter and photographs survive.