Rehabilitation at Cambridge and Rise to Mastership

Key Insight

Needham's fortunes began to change significantly in late autumn 1957. Lu Gwei-djen's return from Paris and her subsequent settling near him contributed positively to his mood. Concurrently, the second volume of his book appeared in 1956, and the third was in production, with reviews for even the initial 'throat-clearing' volumes becoming increasingly 'lyrical'. Critics described his work as a 'supreme achievement of European scholarship' and a 'masterpiece of modern scientific study,' noting its exciting nature and potential to modify historical thought globally.

A crucial shift occurred within his ancient college, Gonville and Caius, where attitudes slowly began to unbend, then accelerated. In October 1957, a 'peasants' revolt' was staged by younger, more worldly dons like Peter Bauer and Michael Swann, who were exasperated by their lack of power in college decisions. This rebellion led to a modest but significant change in college rules, ensuring that elections for the College Council, previously uncontested for centuries, would now be open to the candidacy of all fellows, effectively weeding out administrators for teachers and researchers.

This democratization had enormous consequences for Needham. In 1959, through the strategic maneuvering of his new allies, he was elected to the presidency of the fellows, an 'unprecedented elevation' for someone previously so ill-favored. This timing was propitious, as the publication of the third volume, addressing mathematics and astronomy, solidified his project's status as a 'vastly important monument of scholarship,' comparable to major intellectual achievements like the Oxford English Dictionary. This growing respect, both within and outside the college, facilitated his new role.