Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark (née Welch; born 15 October 1931) is an educator, educationist, academic, and activist. She is a Conservative politician and was for 25 years a working member of the British House of Lords. In 1981 she became Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England. In 1986 she became Vice-Chancellor of South Bank Polytechnic, and serving during its transition to a university, became the first woman in history to run a British university.[2]
In 1952 she married Oxford University lecturer George Perry, and had three sons and a daughter (Christopher, Timothy, Simon and Hilary).
Career
Baroness Perry of Southwark
In 1970, Perry joined HM Inspectorate at the Department of Education and Science, and was appointed Chief Inspector in 1981. In 1986 she became Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of South Bank Polytechnic, and serving during its transition to a university became the first woman in history to run a British university. In 1994 she was elected President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.[4] and served as Head of House for 7 years until 2001. She subsequently held other roles including pro-chancellor of the University of Surrey 2001–2005, Chair of Governors at Roehampton Institute 2001–2005 (which was granted university status in 2003).
She has also been active in the Southwark Cathedral and Church of England community and the City of London. She was appointed by General Synod as chair of the review group examining the operation of the Crown Appointment Commission, the body which nominates Diocesan Bishops. The Perry Report "Working with the Spirit", was published in May 2001 and led to more transparent selection procedures for the appointment of Anglican Bishops.[5] She was Rector's Warden of Southwark Cathedral from 1990 to 1995.
Perry was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1991.[6] She was a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (2003–05), and chaired the Working Party on the Ethics of research involving animals.[7] She has also served as Chair of the Commission on Secondary Reorganisation for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham; Chair of the Commission on Academies and Free Schools in the London Borough of Wandsworth; Co-chair of The Conservatives Public Services Commission, which reported in 2007; and Chair of the Governing Body of Kaplan College and Law School, in 2013.[8]
On 16 July 1991, she became a life peer as The Right Honourable Baroness Perry of Southwark, of Charlbury in the County of Oxfordshire.[9] She sits on the Conservative Party benches. She was appointed a Conservative Party Whip in the Lords in January 2011.[10] She retired from the Lords on 26 May 2016.[11]
Patron, St Mark's School, Limpopo Province, South Africa
The list of appointments can be found in the Who's Who publication.[16]
Honorary Doctorates and Fellowships
The Rt Hon Baroness Perry of Southwark has been awarded the following academic honorary doctorates and fellowships by university's worldwide for her work.
'Peerage and Baronetage' published by Debrett's[34]
‘Dictionary of International Biography’ published by Melrose Press Ltd, Cambridge [35]
‘Who’s Who in the World’ published by Marquis Who’s Who LLC. USA [36]
'2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century' Ninth Edition. published by Melrose Press Ltd, Cambridge[37]
Arms
Coat of arms of Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark
Escutcheon
Sable, in dexter chief a sun in splendour issuant and in base a pear slipped and leaved Gold (Perry), on an inescutcheon of pretence Argent, a cross of lozenges, in the first quarter a crescent enclosing a quaver and in the fourth quarter a cinquefoil Gules (Welch).
Supporters
Dexter, a marmalade tom cat proper; sinister, upon a pile of three books, the spines visible bound Gules, the pages edged Gold, a Persian cat Sable, the nose, breast and feet Argent, each supporting between the forepaws a quill argent penned or.
