Younger brother of Robert, Frederick Chapman studied medicine at Durham University. However, his greater claim to fame was as an English Rugby Football International. He was considered to be the most talented rugby player of the six Chapman brothers and, like many rugby players from the school, was also a member of Westoe Rugby Club. Freddie Chapman also represented Durham University and Durham County, and later joined Hartlepool Rovers. He is credited as scoring the first try, the first penalty goal and the first conversion at the first ever International match at Twickenham Stadium (opened in 1909) on 15th January, 1910.

Robert Chapman was the son of Henry Chapman (Chartered Accountant and prominent businessman in South Shields, born around 1850), and lived in Woods Terrace, Westoe. Robert was one of seven brothers who went to the Boys' High School, and came to be School Captain in 1896. He left to go to London University, where he gained a BA. When he finished at university, he joined the family's accountancy firm, and was active in the Durham Artillery volunteers. He bcame a Captain in 1904 and a Major in 1908, when he commanded the 4th Durham Howitzer Brigade. But through this, he didn't lose interest in the school, and before it was taken over by the local authority, he was one of the governors.

Robert Chapman was called up and fought in the Royal Artillery in the 1914-18 war, receiving the DSO in 1916. He was made a Colonel in 1925, and an honorary Colonel of the regiment in 1935.

His life was also bound up in politics, where he was elected to be one of the first Councillors for the new Harton Ward, in 1921. And in 1931 became Mayor. In 1931 he became MP for Houghton-le-Spring, and in 1940 he became High Sheriff of Durham.

His home was Undercliffe, the large house just on the edge of Cleadon Village which, in the late 60s, became "St Michael's Home of Healing". And Robert Chapman didn't lose his connections with the school - he became Chairman of the Board of Governors from around 1927 for 11 years.

b:18-May-1873 - d:26-Nov-1941 [South Shields High School]

Harry Eltringham was one of the first 37 boys to be taken into the High School in 1885, although he left less than three years later, dissatisfied with the education there, and went to Durham Grammar School instead. He later went to Trinity College Cambridge, where he rowed in the First Trinity Eight and Four, and in the University Trials. He became a partner in his father's shipbuilding firm, Jos T Eltringham & Co, and was later a Director of Manchester Dry Dock Co. However, his greater claim to fame was as a renowned entomologist - he was made President of the Royal Entomological Society of London from 1931 to 1932.

b:17-Apr-1929 - d:10-Feb-2002 [South Shields High School]

John Erickson left the Boys' High School in 1946 with an open scholarship in History at St John's College, Cambridge. He took his place after a period of national service, and entered the world of academia, working his way up to Professor. Having learnt Russian whilst at the High School, he naturally specialised in Russian military and defence studies. He wrote numerous books on the Soviet military, and spent several years as a Professor of Politics. He worked at universities in the USA, and in 1995 was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the Ukraine Aerospace Academy. Like many Old Boys, John Erickson expressed great affection and gratitude for his time at the school - the Gazette reports "his mentors were legends at the school and the town, namely Frank Wade, Charlie Constable and Fred Grey".

In Who's Who, he gave his recreation as "standing in shafts of moonlight", and this undoubtedly reflected his outlook on life. He was born on 23rd April, 1918 (although some references incorrectly have this as 1923, and one has 1919) . His career led to numerous Professorships of Poetry and English Literature around the world, and through this time he became a prolific writer. He is possibly most famous for the poem entitled "The Love that Dares to Speak its Name" which, in 1976, landed Gay News in court for blasphemy, and which it is still illegal to publish in Great Britain.

The son of a mayor of South Shields and shipyard worker, James Mitchell left South Shields High School for Boys and went to Oxford.He left university with an MA, and moved from job to job, spending time in a shipyard, travel agency and even the civil service. He settled down for a while as a a teacher at Jarrow Grammar, having gained a DipEd at King's College in Newcastle, and also taught at the Sunderland College of Art. But it is his writing for which he is best-known, and he wrote his first novel, Here's a Villain, in 1957. There followed more novels and TV screenplays. In 1967, he wrote an episode for ABC's Armchair Theatre, called A Magnum for Mr Schneider, in which the intelligence agent, David Callan, first appeared - this led to the TV series Callan, which ran from 1967 to 1972 (but with numerous spin-offs). James Mitchell also created (and part-wrote) BBC's When the Boat Comes In. [note that his Date of Birth is given in most references as 12-Mar-1926, but the official birth index says 16-Mar]

Pickering joined Sunderland Football Club in 1977 as a "schoolboy associate". Four years later he signed a professional contract with the Club where he made his first-team debut against Ipswich in August, 1981. While with the club he earned a total of 15 England Youth under-21 caps, and then in 1983 he picked up a cap with the England team during their tour of Australia. In 1985 he played at Wembley in the Milk Cup Final, where Sunderland lost 1-0 to Norwich. He then transferred to Coventry City, playing his his debut match in 1986 and in 1987 was on the Wembley turf again with Coventry as they won the FA Cup.

Things went downhill for Pickering after this. He transferred to Derby County, where he played only four games for them and acquired the nickname "psycho". Then he signed for Darlington followed by Burnley, after which he had to retired from the game after seriously injuring his foot. These days he is part of the sports team for BBC Local Radio in the North-East.

Runciman was a well-known Old Boy who gave his name (at least for a while) to one of the school houses and who had a significant political career.

After leaving school he was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and then joined his father in his ship-building business, Runciman Shipping Co Ltd (later called Walter Runciman & Co Ltd). He embarked on a political career - first failing as a candidate for Gravesend in 1898, but the following year defeating Winston Churchill to represent Oldham. In 1900, Churchill regained the seat, but in 1902, Runciman was back in the House as MP for Dewsbury. He was a forceful parliamentarian, and soon found himself appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board. On becoming Prime Minister in 1908, Asquith appointed him President of the Board of Education, and in 1914 he was appointed President of the Board of Trade.

When Asquith was forced to resign as Prime Minister as a result of the coalition crisis at the end of 1916, Runciman also stood down. However, he continued in Parliament - failing to be re-elected in 1918, but becoming MP for Swansea West in 1924 (and then St Ives, in 1929). Curiously, Runciman's wife, Hilda Stevenson, was also an MP, and between them they claimed a first in Parliament - they were the first husband and wife to sit together in the House of Commons.

After Baldwin gave way to Chamberlain in May, 1937, Runciman retired as an MP (and also from his second term as President of the Board of Trade) and moved to the Upper House as Viscount Runciman of Doxford. In July the following year, he was invited to lead a mission to Czechoslovakia, where he was to try to persuade the Czechs to accept the claims of the Sudeten Germans. But these talks failed, and in August 1938, Chamberlain announced that he would no longer be in a position to assist the Czechs should they be attacked by the Germans.

Shortly after the failed mission, Runciman was appointed to the post of Lord President of the (Privy) Council, but following the outbreak of war, he resigned in ill-health which dogged him until his death in Doxford, Northumberland, in 1949

Edward Wilson is first mentioned in the ATOM as part of the cast of the 1960 junior School Play, What Weather!. He played the part of the Government Minister of Weather, and the review says "the part ... was taken with a surprising expertise by Edward Wilson, a boy whose ability augurs well for the future". Little did the reviewer know that Ed Wilson would eventually become a professional actor and Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre. As he went through is schooldays, Ed Wilson earned great praise for his roles in the School Plays - Lucy in The Rivals (1961), Truffaldino in The Servant of Two Masters (1962), Mrs White in The Monkey's Paw (1963), and Haryrazon in The Miser (1964), and in his senior years he produced the Lawrenson House plays for the House Drama Festival. After leaving school, he made a number of appearances on television, perhaps most notably as Billy Seaton in When The Boat Comes In by James Mitchell (also an Old Boy of the school), and he is now Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre.

Robert Wilson's father had been a miner all his life, and wanted more for his son. Although a keen sportsman, he also excelled academically. After going to Laygate Lane School and South Shields High School for Boys, he studied for his BSc at Newcastle and then went on to post-graduate studies at Edinburgh where his doctoral thesis in 1952 was on the optical spectroscopy of O-type stars. Armed with his doctorate, he joined the staff of the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. He quickly became recognised as a formidable scientist in astronomy, and in 1968 went to the US to become the first non-American to receive the Presidential Award for Design Excellence from President Reagan. He was awarded his CBE in 1978, and kinghthood in 1989 for his services to astronomy. Among his notable activities, he was involved in the design and operation of the Ultra-Violet Explorer satellite, which led to major dsicoveries in the field of cosmology, and which continued to operate some 17 years after its designed life.