Edith Margaret Dalziel (21 November 1916 – 5 May 2003) was an English literature scholar at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, New Zealand. She was the first female Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university.

Biography

Dalziel was born in

Rangiora Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. With an estimated population of Rangiora is the 30th largest urba ...

in 1916; her parents were Robert and Eva Dalziel. She received her education at Rangiora District School and

Rangiora High School , motto_translation = Enlightenment with Friendship , location = , coordinates = , type = State , religious_affiliation = , religion = , denomination = , patron ...

. She then completed a master of arts degree at

Canterbury University College The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was f ...

in 1937 and a doctoral degree at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

in 1953. She joined the Department of English at the University of Otago the same year, and remained with the department until her retirement in 1981. On her promotion to professor in 1966 she became the first female professor in the department. In 1971 she was elected Dean of the Faculty of Arts; she was Pro-Vice Chancellor from 1975 to 1977; and Head of Department of English from 1978 to 1980. During her tenure, Dalziel taught and mentored

Bill Manhire William Manhire (born 27 December 1946) is a New Zealand poet, short story writer, emeritus professor, and New Zealand's inaugural Poet Laureate (1997–1998). He founded New Zealand's first creative writing course at Victoria University of Well ...

, who went on to become a notable New Zealand poet. Dalziel died in Dunedin on 5 May 2003. Her family remembers her as an indomitable champion of women's rights in academia and a trailblazer for academic leadership.

Recognition

In the

1976 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1976 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1976 to celebra ...

, Dalziel was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, for services to education and literature. In 1981, the Department of English and Linguistics established an annual Margaret Dalziel Lecture in Dalziel's memory. On her retirement, colleagues published a volume of essays in her honour: ''The Interpretive Power: Essays on Literature in Honour of Margaret Dalziel'' (University of Otago, 1980).

Publications

* ''Popular Fiction 100 Years Ago'' (1957), Cohen & West * ''Myth and the Modern Imagination'' (1967), University of Otago Press * ed., Charlotte Lennox, ''The Female Quixote, or, The Adventures of Arabella'' (1970), Oxford University Press * ''Janet Frame'' (1980), Oxford University Press * "Looking back" in Greg Waite, Jocelyn Harris, Heather Murray and John Hale (eds), ''World and stage: essays for Colin Gibson'' (1998), University of Otago Department of English

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalziel, Margaret 1916 births 2003 deaths 20th-century New Zealand women writers New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand women academics Academic staff of the University of Otago People from Rangiora People educated at Rangiora High School University of Canterbury alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford