TRIBUTES have been paid to former vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford Lord Neill of Bladen, who has died at the age of 89.

Lord Neill was renowned for transforming fund raising at Oxford in the 1980s and described as "a pillar in the history of Oxford University".

Born in 1926, Patrick Neill was educated at Highgate School in London.

Towards the end of the Second World War, aged 18, he joined the Rifle Brigade. On demobilisation in 1947, he started at Magdalen College in Oxford where he received a first class honours degree in law in 1950.

He went on to a successful career as a barrister, becoming a QC in 1966 and Chairman of the Bar Council from 1974 to 1975.

Already a Fellow of All Souls, Lord Neill became Warden of the University of Oxford in 1977, and immediately secured the admission of women to the college. He served as Warden until 1995, and was then made an Honorary Fellow of the College.

As Warden of All Souls, Lord Neill was expected to run the college and take charge of its substantial investments. In 1979 he successfully negotiated the admission of women – when it was still a contentious issue – and he also brought more musical events to the college.

Lord Neill was appointed vice-chancellor of Oxford in 1985, serving for four years.

Recognising that the university needed a new approach to fundraising to maintain its international superiority, he introduced and led the Campaign for Oxford.

Having set an initial target of £200 million, the campaign reached more than £350 million under his leadership.

Lord Neill was active in many other fields of public service: he was Chair of the Press Council and of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. He was knighted in 1983 and appointed Baron Neill of Bladen in 1997.

His other interests included music – he was a talented pianist – and forestry. A religious man in the Anglican tradition, he was deeply affected by the death of his youngest son, Matthew, in a car crash, aged 27.

He married Caroline Debenham, the elder daughter of Sir Piers and Lady Debenham, in 1959. They had four sons and two daughters together.

Lord Neill died on May 28, 2016.

Paying tribute, the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Lord Patten of Barnes, said: "Lord Neill was one of the outstanding public servants of his era. He was a pillar in the history of Oxford University, both as Warden of All Souls and as the Vice-Chancellor who launched our first modern and hugely successful fund raising campaign. The university today owes him a great deal."