re-elected in the 1945 general election and sat until the abolition of university seats in 1950. He did not stand again for Parliament. Historians' judgment The 1945 general election brought a reduction in Liberal strength in the House of Commons and was particularly savage for its leadership. Sir Archibald Sinclair the party leader lost his seat in Caithness and Sutherland, the Chief Whip Sir Percy Harris and William Beveridge were also beaten. In fact apart from Gwilym Lloyd-George who was in any case travelling in the direction of the Tories every Liberal MP who had ever held government office was defeated. This meant a new leader was required. Gruffydd was not a candidate and historians have noted that he was more concerned with his academic work than with trying to make a career in politics but the judgment of one historian of the Liberal Party that he was an academic of extremely limited political experience only sitting in the House because of the university seats, seems unduly harsh in the light of Gruffydd's long-time association with Welsh political and social affairs previous vice-presidency of Plaid Cymru and his managing to be returned to the House of Commons when so many others were falling by the wayside – even candidates for university seats had to win the votes of real voters. Death Gruffydd died at his home in Bangor Road, Caernarfon, on 29 September 1954. He was buried in the cemetery at Llanddeiniolen near the yew tree about which he composed one of his most famous poems. References Sources Books and Journals C W Lewis & Clare L Taylor, 'William John Gruffydd' in Dictionary of National Biography, OUP 2004–08 Who was Who, OUP 2007 Papers Papers of W. J. Gruffydd, [1903]–[1952], including drafts of articles relating to the Mabinogi; lecture notes for his Welsh courses at University College of Wales, Cardiff; other lecture notes and articles; BBC broadcast talks; personalia; and a substantial group of correspondence from notable literary figures are deposited in the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. External links 1881 births 1954 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Academics of Cardiff University Crowned bards Welsh-language writers 20th-century Welsh writers Welsh scholars and academics Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the University of Wales UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs 1945–1950 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War I 20th-century