Ernest Alton

Ernest Henry Alton (21 September 1873 – 18 February 1952) was an Irish academic and politician who served as the 38th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1942 to 1952. He also served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1921 to 1937 and a Senator from 1938 to 1943, representing the Dublin University constituency respectively in each house.

Born near Mullingar, County Westmeath, in 1873. Alton attended The High School in Dublin. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1896 with honours in classics and philosophy, having been elected a Scholar of the college in 1894. He won the Berkeley medal (in Greek) and the Wray prize (in philosophy) and was awarded a studentship (postgraduate scholarship) on his final results. He was a member of Trinity College's Officer Training Corps and saw action during the 1916 Easter Rising. For helping to defend the college from the Irish Volunteers who occupied the nearby Westland Row station, he was awarded the Military Cross. He was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 1912, and served as its vice-president from 1942 to 1944, and from 1946 to 1947.

He was elected to the House of Commons of Southern Ireland at the 1921 elections, representing the Dublin University constituency as an Independent Unionist, he did not participate in the Second Dáil. He was re-elected for the same constituency at the 1922 general election and became a member of the Third Dáil. He was re-elected at the next five general elections until the Dublin University Dáil Éireann constituency was abolished in 1937. He served as a member of the 2nd Seanad and the 3rd Seanad representing the Seanad Éireann Dublin University constituency until 1943 when he retired from politics.

He was a professor of Latin at Trinity College Dublin from 1921 to 1942 and was Provost from 1942 until he died in 1952. During his time as provost, the college made the first successful application for state funding. He married Ethel Hughes-Hunter in 1915, and they had 2 sons and a daughter.

His nephew Bryan Alton was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1965 to 1973.