Nathaniel Wedd was born in Northumberland in 1864. He was raised largely by his mother in London, his father having died when he was young, and came to King's College as a scholar from the City of London School in 1883. In his final year as an undergraduate, he took firsts in both parts of the classical tripos, leading to his election as a Fellow of King's in 1888. As a Fellow, Wedd excelled in scholarship, putting his broad range of knowledge and keen intellect at the service of a number of scholars whose work benefitted thereby. He published little of his own, however; namely, a notable edition of 'Orestes' by Euripedes. His true calling, as he saw it, was teaching, and it is as an inspirational lecturer and tutor that he is widely remembered. He was in large part responsible for the reinvigoration of classics in the University at this time, and he provided even more invaluable service to the colleges of King's and Newnham. It is well known that Wedd took on far more than his share of duties at King's, allowing other scholars - notably M.R. James and Walter Headlam - to concentrate on research. The consequences of Wedd's choice, however, extended far beyond his fellow scholars. It was principally Wedd and Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson who created the atmosphere of inspiration and individuality that dominated the college at the turn of the century. Wedd, according to an obituary, had the 'gift of winning the confidence of the most reserved....He understood undergraduates of all kinds and cared to see only their merits, of which he was always the first and sometimes the only discoverer; and once he knew his man, he knew exactly how best to help and stimulate him.' As his tutor, Wedd was a direct influence on the author E.M. Forster, who credited him with 'such awakening as has befallen me'. The King's that Wedd helped to create shaped both Rupert Brooke and J.M. Keynes.