Recollections

This section compiles contributions from former staff and students to the celebration of the 75^th Anniversary of the Education and International Development Group at the Institute of Education.

Compiled by Clare Bentall

This section brings together contributions[1] made by former staff and students to the 75^th anniversary celebration of the former Education and International Development Group (EID), held on the 23^rd November 2002 in the Institute of Education, in which they reflect on their experiences. These contributions are either speeches made on the day of the celebration or written messages sent by those who could not attend.  Together they provide insight into life, both academic and other, in the department over 75 years and have been grouped to give a flavour of the different eras:

The Colonial Department: 1927 – 1952  

Department of Education in Tropical Areas: 1953 - 1973

Department of Education in Developing Countries: 1973 - 1985

Department of International and Comparative Education:  1985 - 1995 

Education and International Development: 1995 - 2001

These contributions reflect the changes over the years in the focus of the courses in the department and also provide more personal experiences and memories to supplement the historical records included in the previous section on this CD.

A Tribute to Bill Dodd CMG and Margaret Richards MBE

Bill Dodd, a former lecturer in Education in Tropical Areas (ETA), played an important role in the organisation of the 75th anniversary event. He died in February 2004, before the completion of this CD project. We remember his enthusiasm, wisdom and his unstinting devotion to education in developing countries over the decades.

On the day of the anniversary celebration, Bill Dodd paid tribute to Margaret Richards, who had died shortly before the celebration. Margaret was a former administrative secretary spanning three eras of the department from 1949-1982 and had been awarded the MBE at the end of her term of work at the Institute of Education.

"Although this is a birthday celebration I am afraid I must begin on the solemn and sad note as we mourn the recent death of Margaret Richards, who was, for some 30 years, administrative secretary for the Department of Education in Tropical Areas and its subsequent manifestations. For 30 years Margaret was a truly, strong pillar of the department, an outstanding administrator. She was the benevolent queen of her administrative and clerical staff, a stern, but kindly, mother of students and a strict disciplinarian when dealing with academic staff."