Egyptology at Christ’s was made possible by a generous benefaction in the will of Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge (27th July 1857 – 23rd November 1934), who was himself one of the most prominent Egyptologists of his generation. Budge matriculated at Christ’s in 1878, before joining the staff of the British Museum in 1883 and ultimately attaining the post of Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities (1894-1924). During an exceptionally long and productive career, Budge carried out multiple trips to Egypt to collect artefacts for the British Museum, and also published a vast number of books, including a particularly well-known edition of the Book of the Dead in four volumes. On his death, Budge left funds both to Christ’s College, Cambridge and University College, Oxford, to endow Fellowships in Egyptology in honour of his wife, Dora Helen Emerson, thereby ensuring that the work he held so dear would be able to carry on.

In remembering Budge, it is important to acknowledge that he was a man of his time and the standards to which he operated would not be acceptable in Egyptology today. In particular, Budge’s removal of valuable material culture from Egypt would be illegal under modern laws, and little attention was paid to the impact his work had on local communities. Christ’s College acknowledges this controversial aspect of the Budge legacy, while ultimately judging that – given the world in which he operated – his considerable scholarly and philanthropic contributions mean that he remains worthy of being memorialised.