Google Jennie Lee or Baroness Boothroyd and you'd be hard pushed not to notice the OU. But there are some unsung heroines behind the OU's success today.
Anne Drake, the OU's first occupational health nurse
Listen to an archive audio of Anne talk about the early days of OU and how it became her family. Find out which well known OU academic she chastised for being messy.
Naomi Sargant, Britain's first woman Pro-Vice-Chancellor (1933-2006)
Naomi (pictured above) was hailed as the voice of the students. A life long socialist, she was dedicated to breaking down barriers to education. During her time at the OU, between 1970 and 1981, Naomi became Britain’s first female Pro-Vice-Chancellor. She was also Professor of Applied Social Research. Naomi’s obituary in The Times reads: “Naomi saw education, especially education for adults, as the foundation stone of democracy, and fought tirelessly in powerful writing, speeches and debate against all who would restrict it.”
Dame Jane Drew, Architect (1911-1996)
Take the OU's Legacy Tour and you'll see Jane's work, it being literally part of the foundations. One of the first buildings on campus, the Wilson Building (pictured) is the result of the design work of Dame Drew and her husband Maxwell Fry. Revered by some of Britain's most distinguished architects, she was also an ardent feminist employing women exclusively in the formative days of her career.
Comments
The Open University Archive contains many collections about the history of the University. For more information visit www.open.ac.uk/library/archive