Norman MacKenzie (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norman MacKenzie
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Norman MacKenzie c. 1980
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| Born | 18 August 1921 Deptford, London, England |
| Died | 18 June 2013 (aged 91) Lewes, England |
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| Genre | Biographies |
| Spouse | Jeanne MacKenzie (m. 1945; died 1986), Gillian Ford (m. 1988) |
| Children | 2 daughters (by first marriage) |
Norman Ian MacKenzie (born August 18, 1921 – died June 18, 2013) was a British journalist, university teacher, and historian. He played a big part in starting the Open University in the late 1960s. This university allowed people to study for degrees from home.
Early Life and Education
Norman MacKenzie was born in New Cross, south-east London, in 1921. His father, Thomas, was a credit draper, and his mother was Alice. He went to Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Boys' School, which was a local grammar school.
In 1939, Norman won a special scholarship to study at the London School of Economics (LSE). He earned a top degree in government. While at LSE, he impressed Harold Laski, a professor and a Labour Party activist. During his student days, he joined some political groups, but he soon left them.
In 1940, during World War II, Norman volunteered for the Home Guard. This was a group of part-time soldiers who protected Britain. He trained in special warfare tactics. He was also part of the Political Warfare Executive. This group broadcast messages by radio to Germany to influence public opinion. In 1942, Norman was called to serve in the RAF (Royal Air Force). However, he had to leave after four months because of a stomach ulcer.
Career Highlights
After finishing his studies in 1943, Norman MacKenzie worked for the New Statesman magazine for 19 years. He was an assistant editor and focused on topics like society and politics. He often traveled to Eastern European countries in the 1950s. During these trips, he gathered information. For example, in 1955, he learned that Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was going to criticize Stalin. His report was not believed at first, but it turned out to be true.
Norman tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party twice, in 1951 and 1955, but he was not successful. In 1957, he helped to create the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). This group wanted to get rid of nuclear weapons.
From 1959 to 1960, Norman spent a year in Australia. He researched women's lives there, which led to his important book, Women in Australia (1962).
In 1962, Asa Briggs invited him to teach about society at the University of Sussex. There, he started a center for educational technology in 1967. In the mid-1960s, he worked with others to think about how more people could go to university. This led to the creation of the Open University. Norman was a key member of the planning group for this new university until 1976. The Open University later gave him an honorary degree in 1977. He was also an honorary member of the LSE.
Norman also taught as a visiting professor at several universities in the United States. These included Sarah Lawrence College, Williams College, and Dartmouth College.
From 1976 to 1979, Norman advised Shirley Williams, who was the government minister for education. In 1981, he signed a statement that helped start the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Shirley Williams was one of the people who founded this party. Norman was an early member of the SDP, but he did not have a big role in running the party.
He stopped teaching at the University of Sussex in 1983.
Orwell's List
In 1949, the famous author George Orwell made a list of people he thought were too friendly with communist ideas. Norman MacKenzie's name was on this list. The list was meant to identify people who might not be suitable for creating anti-communist messages. It was not about spying. When the list became public in 2002, Norman MacKenzie said that Orwell might have been a bit confused at the time. He agreed with Orwell about the Soviet Union, but he felt Orwell's dislike for certain left-wing groups might have influenced his judgment.
Books and Writings
Norman MacKenzie wrote many books, often with his first wife, Jeanne Sampson. They wrote popular biographies, which are life stories, of famous people like H. G. Wells (1973) and Charles Dickens (1979). They also put together the diaries of Beatrice Webb. Norman also edited the letters of Sidney and Beatrice Webb. He wrote and edited books on many other topics too.
He also wrote three adventure novels set during the Napoleonic wars with journalist Antony Brown. They used the pen name 'Anthony Forrest' for these books. In 1978, Norman and his wife Jeanne were both made fellows of the Royal Society of Literature.
Later Life
Norman MacKenzie's first wife, Jeanne, passed away from cancer in 1986. In 1988, he married Dr. Gillian Ford. She was a government medical officer. They lived in Lewes, East Sussex. Norman was also a talented painter of watercolor landscapes. He was survived by Gillian and one of his daughters from his first marriage.
