Katharine Whitehorn

Katharine Whitehorn

Katherine Whitehorn, CBE, was a renowned journalist and author. In 1982, she was elected as rector of the University of St Andrews - the first female to hold this role in any Scottish university. The University opened Whitehorn Hall in 2018 as part of an effort to honour inspiring female figures with strong connections to the University. Whitehorn was the first woman to have a column in The Observer and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2014 for her services to journalism.

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2 March 1928

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Katharine Whitehorn

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Name: Katharine Whitehorn D.O.B: 2 March 1928 D.O.D: 8 January 2021 Family origins: Born in London, her family were on the left of the political spectrum and nonconformist. Her mother studied at the University of Cambridge. Her maternal great-grandfather was the final person to be charged with heresy by the Church of Sctoland. Education: Educated at a private school in Brighton and Glasgow High School for Girls. She studied English at Newnham College, Cambridge. She did postgraduate studies at Cornell University. Profession: Her career started out in journalism as a freelance writer in London, initially writing about fashion. She became the first woman to write a column in The Observer newspaper in 1963, which continued to 1996 as it was very popular. She was an agony aunt for Saga Magazine from 1997 to 2016, and her column with The Observer restarted in 2011 and continued until 2017. She also published several books, such as Kitchen in the Corner: A complete Guide to Bedsitter Cookery (1961), and an autobiography, Selective Memory, in 2007. Talents etc.: Writer Private life/family life: Married to Gavin Lyall, spy fiction novelist, in 1958, with two sons (Professional) Role in St Andrews: Rector of the university Years in St Andrews: 1982-1985 Involved in which fields of scholarship? (e.g. geology, philosophy and medicine) Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship /inventions/… 1 (i.e. in geology): First female rector, author, columnist Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship/inventions/… 2 (i.e. in philosophy): If you want to read one thing written by him/her, it should be: X Kitchen in the Corner: A complete Guide to Bedsitter Cookery Any political involvement? Her writing was described as feminist content She was on the committee that reduced the UK’s age of majority from 21 to 18 and edited the report to ensure it was easy to read. The committee’s suggestion was accepted in the Family Law Reform Act of 1969. Any religious involvement? Other societies/groups in St Andrews? Other societies/groups elsewhere? She was on an advisory panel to the BBC (1971-1972) She was vice president of the Patients Association (1983-1996) where she advocated for patients rights She advised the Institute for Global Ethichs (1993-2011) Associated places in St Andrews: (e.g. home, lab, favourite spot) Whitehorn Hall is named in her honour, in recognition of her being the first female rector in Scotland Possible human interest story 1: A funny quote from one of her articles in 1963 which became created a stir: “Have you ever taken anything out of the dirty-clothes basket because it had become, relatively, the cleaner thing? Changed stockings in a taxi? Could you try on clothes in any shop, any time, without worrying about your underclothes? How many things are in the wrong room—cups in the study, boots in the kitchen?” (Source – Columnists: How to Succeed as a Slut”, TIME, 24 January 1964) Possible human interest story 2: Possible human interest story 3: Possible human interest story 4: Connected to other people in St Andrews or elsewhere?: Awards/Honours: CBE in 2014 for services to journalism, 50 years after she initially declined an honour Numbers: Other interesting/quirky facts (not necessarily related to subject areas): She caught Covid-19 Any eye-witness testimony/stories: Biographical sources: (e.g. OxDNB, family memoir, other...) Autobiography, obituaries in Guardian, Telegraph, etc., and she was interviewed by the National Life Stories in 2009 for the “Oral History of the British Press” collection held by the British Library Available images of the person: Available images of places/objects associated with the person: Whitehorn hall on the right Former Rector Katarine Whitehorn Images from https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-st-andrews-halls-to-be-named-after-female-pioneers

8 January 2021