Harper Man Collects MBE

Posted 9 July 2004

John Ruscoe, 63, an employee of Harper Adams University College, Shropshire, recently received his MBE from the Prince of Wales at an Investiture held at Buckingham Palace.

John Ruscoe after receiving his MBE from HRH The Prince of Wales, at Buckingham Palace.

John, of Edgmond, recieved the award for services to education in agriculture. He joined Harper Adams aged 15 years and has worked for five Principals. Over a 48-year period, John has witnessed major changes in the worlds of both Agriculture and Higher Education. When he started at, the then, Harper Adams Agricultural College, students studied either agriculture or poultry. Harper Adams has now become a University College with courses ranging from engineering, leisure, tourism and business degrees. The changes have resulted in John’s duties and responsibilities evolving over time. Consequently, John has enjoyed a varied working life ranging from instructing students to assisting NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) with crop trials.

John, accompanied to Buckingham Palace by his wife Anne, mother-in-law, Jessica and friends, Michael and Pauline Worrall, said: “It was a day none of us will ever forget. We had a marvellous time and came back with lots of special memories.”

He added: “Prince Charles had a few private words with me – he said that he remembered talking to me when he came to visit Harper Adams in 2001 and even recalled how I had dropped my mobile phone.”

Following the announcement of his MBE in January, John was delighted to be contacted by a cousin whom he had not seen for over thirty years. Anthony Ruscoe, a historian and author of several books on local history, told John that he had been researching the Ruscoe family tree for many years and had discovered that the family was related to both the Harper and Adams families. This has made the Honour even more special to John and his family.

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Photo Captions

John Ruscoe after receiving his MBE from HRH The Prince of Wales, at Buckingham Palace