MR ARTHUR "DIXIE" DUGGAN RIP
1928 - 2015

Arthur "Dixie" Duggan, former teacher of English died peacefully on 8th January 2015. May he rest in peace.

Arthur Duggan was born on 17th March 1928 and was a student at the college until 1945 where he studied English (Brother Hooper), French (Jack Curtin) and History (Brother Francis and Tony Barter), followed by the study of History and French at Liverpool University. After National Service from 1948 to 1950, Arthur began his teaching career at St Edwards in the Autumn of 1950. He quickly acquired the nickname "Dixie" after a (female) character in a popular American comic strip (Dixie Dugan), purely because of the name - no other similarities could be noted.

Together with fellow teacher and close personal friend, Arthur compiled a textbook "General Studies" 1965, based on the course they devised for use in the 6th form when they introduced and taught the subject - 4 periods a week for all pupils in the 6th form - St Edward's was quite advanced for those days. The book was resoundingly successful, running to two editions helped by the fact that the Christian Brothers bought up large numbers for their various schools.
Below are recorded some memories from former pupils and colleagues.
If you would like to add a comment of your own, please email me at

spiresgate@gmail.com



Dixie's teaching career coincided with my own entry to the college and we were both subjected to what could have been a traumatic experience. For a reason that has never been explained, for a few weeks in September 1950, form 2A had all the 'wrong' teachers - Bomba O'Brien for Science, Johnny Mullen for History, and the newly-minted arts graduate for maths. Not knowing too much about the subject, Dixie relied on Richard, his younger brother who had also just begun his education in 2 alpha, to pass on the appropriate information he had just learned from a proper Maths teacher. Happily for all, the situation was eventually rectified and not much lasting harm was inflicted by either of the Duggans.

Dr Joseph Chamberlain OE 1950-1957
I recall the famous book which my father forced me to read many years later!

Simon Duggan, nephew and now headmaster at St Anselms
What a lovely guy . . . . He had the nicest nature of any of them. He treated any distraction we foolish kids created with a generous and patient reserve and good humour. I thought of him often, and always with affection.

Joseph Hoffman, Bow WA,USA OE 1950-1957
He was my form teacher in Upper 1. I'll be thinking about him and Richard tomorrow

Peter O'Hare