Diana Reader Harris
Encyclopedia
Dame Muriel Diana Reader Harris (born 11 October 1912 in Hong Kong
, died 7 October 1996 in Salisbury
, Wiltshire
) was an English educator, school principal and public figure.
in 1934.
s in England. During the war she was evacuated with a group of pupils from Sherborne to Branksome Hall
School in Toronto
, Canada
. This led to an exchange relationship between the two schools that was still operating seventy years later. She returned to England in 1943 to join the staff of the National Association of Girls' Clubs
. She returned to Sherborne as headmistress in 1950, achieved eminence in her profession, and remained there until her retirement in 1975. According to an obituary, "Those who were pupils during her headship grew up in an atmosphere in which it was assumed that everyone had something of value to give, a better nature to be appealed to, and a duty to the community in which she lived."
While still at Sherborne, Reader Harris was involved in a bewildering variety of outside bodies. She chaired the Association of Headmistresses
in 1964-66, orchestrating its response to the Plowden Report
. She was at various times a member of Dorset Education Committee, the Independent Television Authority
, the councils of the National Youth Orchestra
and the Outward Bound
Trust, the Church Missionary Society, where as its first woman president she brought it to espouse the 1980 Brandt Report
on bridging the North-South divide
, and Christian Aid
, where she was also chairman in 1978-83. She joined the council of the Royal Society of Arts
in 1975 and chaired it in 1979-81. She was a governor of Godolphin School
, Salisbury, from 1975 to 1986.
Reader Harris was an active member of the Church of England
and a keen advocate of the ordination of women
. She herself preached sermons in many churches, and became a lay canon after retiring to Salisbury in 1983. She was a popular speaker at functions and broadcast frequently. Her lifelong diaries are held by the school archives of Sherborne Girls.
A vivid glimpse of Diana Reader Harris in old age appeared in a 1991 article by an anonymous former Sherborne pupil, published in India: "Dame Diana Reader Harris is no mean Third Ager herself. After retiring at the age of 63, she took on a bewildering array of offices in Church, educational and charitable organizations, including Chairmanship of Christian Aid. Now 79, she is losing her sight and fighting her way off as many committees as possible - 'I can't read the minutes.' In spite of this, her account of her schedule for the week leaves me exhausted. Her problem, she says, is not boredom, but the opposite. The battle is to cling onto the Biblical injunction to 'be still and know that I am God' - the Hebrew, she says, suggests the idea of 'pause awhile and relax.' She lives with her sister-in-law and does all the cooking herself - at some risk to their guests, as 'I never know what I'm putting in.'"
In 1972, Diana Reader Harris was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
for "services to Education and the Church."
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, died 7 October 1996 in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
) was an English educator, school principal and public figure.
Early life
Diana, the elder child of Montgomery Reader Harris (born 1887) and his wife Frances, née Wilmot Wilkinson, returned to England at the age of two, but lost her mother to meningitis almost immediately, and as her father remained in the Far East, she was brought up by an aunt in London. She was educated at Frances Holland School for Girls in London and Sherborne School for Girls in 1925. She graduated with an external first class degree in English from the University of LondonUniversity of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1934.
Teaching and public work
Reader Harris immediately joined the teaching staff at Sherborne School for Girls, then one of the foremost girls' boarding schoolBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
s in England. During the war she was evacuated with a group of pupils from Sherborne to Branksome Hall
Branksome Hall
Branksome Hall is an independent girls' school for day and boarding students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Founded in 1903, the school is located on a 13-acre campus in in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Campus buildings include several heritage structures and some modern buildings, all linked by...
School in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This led to an exchange relationship between the two schools that was still operating seventy years later. She returned to England in 1943 to join the staff of the National Association of Girls' Clubs
UK Youth
UK Youth is a national youth work charity supporting over 750,000 young people, 40,000 volunteers and 7,000 youth projects, groups and clubs in the United Kingdom.-UK Youth:...
. She returned to Sherborne as headmistress in 1950, achieved eminence in her profession, and remained there until her retirement in 1975. According to an obituary, "Those who were pupils during her headship grew up in an atmosphere in which it was assumed that everyone had something of value to give, a better nature to be appealed to, and a duty to the community in which she lived."
While still at Sherborne, Reader Harris was involved in a bewildering variety of outside bodies. She chaired the Association of Headmistresses
Girls' Schools Association
The Girls' Schools Association is the professional association of the heads of independent girls' schools in the UK and overseas and is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council .-History:...
in 1964-66, orchestrating its response to the Plowden Report
Plowden Report
The Plowden Report is the unofficial name for the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council For Education into Primary education in England. The report, entitled Children and their Primary Schools reviewed Primary education in a wholesale fashion. The collation of the report took around 3 years...
. She was at various times a member of Dorset Education Committee, the Independent Television Authority
Independent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
, the councils of the National Youth Orchestra
National Youth Orchestra
The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain is an orchestra of 163 young musicians from the United Kingdom. The members of the orchestra are all aged between 13 and 19 years. The players are selected by auditions which take place in the autumn each year at various locations in the country...
and the Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
Trust, the Church Missionary Society, where as its first woman president she brought it to espouse the 1980 Brandt Report
Brandt Report
thumb|right|[[Willy Brandt]], the creator of the Brandt ReportThe Brandt Report is the report written by the Independent Commission, first chaired by Willy Brandt in 1980, to review international development issues...
on bridging the North-South divide
North-South divide
The north–south divide is a socio-economic and political division that exists between the wealthy developed countries, known collectively as "the north", and the poorer developing countries , or "the south." Although most nations comprising the "North" are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere ,...
, and Christian Aid
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is the official relief and development agency of 40 British and Irish churches and works to support sustainable development, alleviate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia...
, where she was also chairman in 1978-83. She joined the council of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
in 1975 and chaired it in 1979-81. She was a governor of Godolphin School
Godolphin School
The Godolphin School is an independent boarding school for girls at Salisbury in Wiltshire, England, founded in 1726. The school educates some 430 girls between the ages of eleven and eighteen.-History:...
, Salisbury, from 1975 to 1986.
Reader Harris was an active member of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and a keen advocate of the ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
. She herself preached sermons in many churches, and became a lay canon after retiring to Salisbury in 1983. She was a popular speaker at functions and broadcast frequently. Her lifelong diaries are held by the school archives of Sherborne Girls.
A vivid glimpse of Diana Reader Harris in old age appeared in a 1991 article by an anonymous former Sherborne pupil, published in India: "Dame Diana Reader Harris is no mean Third Ager herself. After retiring at the age of 63, she took on a bewildering array of offices in Church, educational and charitable organizations, including Chairmanship of Christian Aid. Now 79, she is losing her sight and fighting her way off as many committees as possible - 'I can't read the minutes.' In spite of this, her account of her schedule for the week leaves me exhausted. Her problem, she says, is not boredom, but the opposite. The battle is to cling onto the Biblical injunction to 'be still and know that I am God' - the Hebrew, she says, suggests the idea of 'pause awhile and relax.' She lives with her sister-in-law and does all the cooking herself - at some risk to their guests, as 'I never know what I'm putting in.'"
In 1972, Diana Reader Harris was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for "services to Education and the Church."