Marjorie Deane (1914 - 2 October 2008) was a British financial journalist and author, who worked for ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...

'' from 1947 to 1989, and has been called "a pathbreaker for female financial journalists" by

Paul Volcker Paul Adolph Volcker Jr. (September 5, 1927 – December 8, 2019) was an American economist who served as the 12th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1979 to 1987. During his tenure as chairman, Volcker was widely credited with having ended the ...

, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve.

Early life

Marjorie Deane was born in 1914 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. She was educated there at

Withington Girls' School Withington Girls' School is an independent day school in Fallowfield, Manchester, United Kingdom, providing education for girls between the ages of seven and eighteen. Withington is a member of the Girls' Schools Association and the Headmasters ...

, followed by a degree in mathematics at

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

Career

During the Second World war, Deane worked as a

statistician A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects, and statisticians may wor ...

for the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

, where she reported to the poet

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

, who would become a friend. Deane worked for ''

'' from 1947 to 1989, and in the magazine's obituary of Deane, she was described as "the backbone of ''The Economist''s financial coverage". She was initially hired as a statistician, and although ''The Economist'' were relatively enlightened employers, this did not extend to equal pay in her earlier years; according to the editor

Geoffrey Crowther Geoffrey Crowther, Baron Crowther Kt. (13 May 1907 – 5 February 1972) was a British economist, journalist, educationalist and businessman. He was editor of ''The Economist'' from 1938 to 1956.His major works include 'Economics for Democrats'(1 ...

, "You can hire a first-rate woman for the price of a second-rate man". Deane retired from ''The Economist'' aged 75, but continued working on a consultancy basis for various employers, and published a book aged 80 with the journalist Robert Pringle, entitled, ''The Central Banks''.

, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, has called Deane "a pathbreaker for female financial journalists".

Honours

In 2006, Deane was awarded an MBE, and said to the Queen: "I gather you don't much like us journalists, Ma’am", to which the Queen replied that ''financial'' journalists were all right.

Personal life

She died on 2 October 2008, at the age of 94.

Legacy

In 1998, she put £1 million towards establishing up a foundation to encourage young financial journalists, and most of her estate was added to The Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation.

Selected publications

* ''The Central Banks'' (with Robert Pringle, 1994)

References

External links

The Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deane, Marjorie 1914 births 2008 deaths British writers British women journalists People educated at Withington Girls' School