Dame Myra Curtis DBE (1886–1971) was an

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, and the Principal of

Newnham College, Cambridge Newnham College is a women's Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sid ...

from 1942 to 1954.

Early life

Curtis was born on 2 October 1886 in Sunderland. She was the daughter of George and Annie (Johnson) Curtis. The former worked at the

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

while his wife was an elementary school teacher. Curtis was educated at Allan's Endowed Girls' School, Newcastle upon Tyne, Winchester High School and

. After finishing school, she was an editor of the

Victoria County History The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of En ...

for seven years while also working as a private tutor.

Civil service

Curtis' civil service career began in 1915 when she became part of the temporary staff of the War Trade Intelligence Department. By 1918, she transferred to the

Ministry of Food An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

and became the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Establishment Branch from 1920 to 1922. She became a permanent civil servant in 1923 after passing the first competitive examination for super-clerical grade women, in which she placed first. She then held positions in the Ministry of Pensions and the Post Office. Later, she was assumed the Assistant Secretary and Director of Women's Establishments in the Treasury, which was considered the premier women's post in the Civil Service. She retired from government work in 1942, Curtis headed a government committee addressing children care for

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

in 1946. This resulted to the so-called Curtis Report, which was described as "the first enquiry in this country directed specifically to the care of children deprived of a normal home life". It was presented to the Labour government, which replaced the war-time coalition government in 1945. The report led to the enactment of the Children Act of 1948, which mandated that every local authority must set up a children's committee to advance children's interests. Curtis was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1949.

Academic career

Following her retirement from the civil service in 1941, Curtis was elected Principal of Newnham College, taking office in January 1942. She would hold the post until 1954. She enabled the college to carry on in the face of wartime and immediate post-war restrictions, and as a civil servant, worked to improve the efficiency of academic administration. It was a difficult and frustrating process, particularly amid the restrictions of the post-war period. Curtis played an important part in the negotiations on behalf of the women's colleges which resulted in women finally being awarded degrees from the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. In 1952 she was the first woman elected to the council of the Senate at Cambridge, and she chaired the women's appointments board. She also chaired a committee which promoted the establishment of a third women's college to accommodate the growing number of women at Cambridge: the result was New Hall, opened in October 1954, and now Murray Edwards College.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, Myra 1886 births 1971 deaths Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge British civil servants British feminists Education activists Fellows of Newnham College, Cambridge Principals of Newnham College, Cambridge People educated at Dame Allan's School