Complex sentence: From 1950 he spent four years in Paris, going in 1956 to the University of Manchester, 1961 to Cambridge and in 1967 succeeded Lewis Charles Harmer to the Draper's Chair of French, at the University of Cambridge.
Split into simpler sentences: From 1950 he spent four years in Paris, taking up a position in 1956 at the University of Manchester. In 1961 he moved to Cambridge and in 1967 succeeded Lewis Charles Harmer to the Draper's Chair of French, at the University of Cambridge.