He was the Senior Fellow of Emmanuel College, having held a fellowship for an astonishing period spanning 73 years, broken only by an enforced interval whilst he was Master of Fitzwilliam.
Walter Wyatt Grave was born in King’s Lynn in 1901 and attended King Edward VII School before coming up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1920 as an Entrance Scholar. He studied Modern Languages (Spanish and Italian), captained the College Association Football XI, won college colours for Athletics and Fives, and played frequently for the Cricket XI. Sporting achievements led to presidency of the College Lions Club, and scholarly achievements to the presidency of the Mildmay Club. Having a tenor voice he was also actively involved with the Musical Society under the Presidency of L.H.G. Greenwood (Fellow and Tutor and subsequently mentor and friend).After obtaining his BA degree with a double first in the Tripos in 1924, Grave embarked on research supported by a college studentship, and undertook a period of study in Spain on the university’s Howard Scholarship. He was elected a Research Fellow of Emmanuel College in 1926, and obtained his PhD in 1927. A period of teaching and research followed up to the Second World War, with appointment as a University Lecturer and College Tutor from 1936.

This included full involvement in faculty and college affairs in which he demonstrated qualities of energy, industry and attention to detail, exhibited fully in his future career. He was Senior Proctor of the university from 1938 to 1939.After service with the Ministry of Labour and National Service from 1940 to 1943, he returned to Cambridge as the Registrary of the university. In that role he played a central part in the arrangements to accommodate the returning servicemen at the end of the war and in the many adjustments and new developments of the immediate post-war years. These included the acquisition of the Sidgwick Site, the initial planning of its future development for the Arts faculties, and new buildings for the departments of Engineering and Veterinary Science.Plans were laid also at this time for new Chemical Laboratories in Lensfield Road. It was a period of intense activity in which Grave’s co-ordinating and strategic role was important.

Despite these pressures he remained fully accessible to academic colleagues, numbers of whom spoke of his great helpfulness in sorting out administrative and managerial problems. When after nine years as Registrary he decided to move to Jamaica to take on the post of Principal of the University College of the West Indies, Cambridge recognised his contribution with the honorary degree of LLD.In the West Indies, Grave co- ordinated the move of the new university from temporary accommodation to permanent buildings. He energetically built up its academic programme and faculty staffing at all levels. He piloted the university towards achievement of independent status which followed in 1962. This work was recognised by his appointment as CMG in 1958.In 1959 Grave returned to Cambridge as Censor of Fitzwilliam House. He immediately commenced with great energy the process of the conversion of this institution, founded in 1869, from non-collegiate institution to full college. He negotiated the constitutional change with the university, steered the design and construction of new college buildings and inaugurated an appeal to raise initial endowment.By 1966 the first of the new buildings were in occupation and a Royal Charter was granted incorporating the new college Grave was its first Master.