Beryl Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Platt of Writtle
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 28 May 1981 – 1 February 2015 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Beryl Catherine Myatt
18 April 1923 Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK |
| Died | 1 February 2015 (aged 91) |
| Spouse | Stewart Sydney Platt |
| Children | Roland Francis Platt (1951–2014) Victoria Catherine Platt (b. 1953) |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Mathematics, aeronautics, politics |
| Institutions | Girton College, Cambridge |
| Employer(s) | Hawker Aircraft Company, British European Airways |
Beryl Catherine Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle (born Myatt; 18 April 1923 – 1 February 2015) was a British politician and a member of the House of Lords. She was an engineer by profession, working in aircraft design and safety. Baroness Platt was very interested in science and technology, especially in helping women get involved in these fields.
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Early Life and Education
Beryl Catherine Myatt was born in Leigh-on-Sea, England, on 18 April 1923. She loved mathematics and studied at Westcliff High School for Girls. Her teachers thought she was an amazing student.
When World War II started, Beryl's family moved away from the coast. She then got a special government scholarship to study engineering at Girton College, Cambridge. This was to help with the war effort and rebuild Britain afterwards.
Studying Engineering
In 1941, Beryl chose to study Aeronautical Engineering. She was one of only five women among 250 men studying Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge. The course was very intense and lasted only two years because of the war. She even spent three weeks working in a factory at the Hawker Aircraft Company.
When Beryl finished her studies in 1943, women were not given full degrees at Cambridge. They only received a "Title of degree." It wasn't until 1948 that women could officially get degrees from Cambridge University.
Aeronautical Career
After finishing her studies, Beryl Platt worked in the aviation industry from 1943 to 1949. Her first job was at Hawker's Experimental Flight Test Department. She was one of only three women there. She helped test and produce important fighter planes for the Royal Air Force, like the Hurricane, Typhoon, and Tempest V. The Tempest V was the first plane to fight against the German V-1 flying bombs.
After the war, Beryl moved from designing warplanes to working on air safety for British European Airways. She was very good at her job, creating procedures to ensure safe landings, even if an engine failed. She quickly became known as a skilled engineer. In 1951, she became a member of the Women's Engineering Society.
In 1949, Beryl married Stewart Sydney Platt. After getting married, she stopped her professional engineering career to focus on her family. She had two children, Roland and Victoria. Once her children started school, she thought about returning to the aircraft industry, but there were no jobs near her home in Writtle. Instead, she decided to get involved in politics, but she always kept her interest in science and technology.
Political Career
Beryl Platt's political journey began locally. She joined the Chelmsford Rural District Council in 1956 and served there until 1974. She was also elected to the Essex County Council in 1965 and later became its chairman from 1971 to 1980.
In 1981, Beryl Platt was made a life peer, which meant she became a member of the House of Lords for life. She chose the title Baroness Platt of Writtle, named after her home village. Her coat of arms even included a cogwheel, showing her lifelong connection to engineering. Less than a month after joining the House of Lords, she gave her first speech about higher education, a topic she cared deeply about.
Championing Women in STEM
Baroness Platt was a strong supporter of equal opportunities for women. From 1983 to 1988, she was a member of the European Communities Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. In 1983, she became the chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).
In 1984, under her leadership, the EOC and the Engineering Council started the WISE Campaign (Women into Science and Engineering). This initiative was created to encourage more girls and women to consider careers in science and engineering.
Baroness Platt was very active in the House of Lords. From 1990 to 2008, she served on several committees focused on science, technology, and engineering. She passed away on 1 February 2015.
Honours and Appointments
Baroness Platt received many awards and honours throughout her life. In 1978, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
She also received several honorary degrees from universities, including:
- An Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1984.
- An honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) from City University, London in 1984.
- An honorary Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) from University of Bradford.
- An honorary Doctor of Technology (D.Tech.) from Brunel University in 1986.
- An honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from University of Cambridge in 1987.
In 1988, she became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and an Honorary Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge. She was also given the Freedom of the City of London in 1988. From 1994 to 2001, Baroness Platt was the Chancellor of Middlesex University.
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