Patricia Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Hollis of Heigham
PC DL
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| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 11 June 2001 – 10 May 2005 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Her self |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Hunt of Kings Heath |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security | |
| In office 6 May 1997 – 11 June 2001 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Oliver Heald |
| Succeeded by | Her self |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 1 June 1990 – 13 October 2018 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 May 1941 |
| Died | 13 October 2018 (aged 77) |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Girton College, Cambridge University of California Columbia University |
Patricia Lesley Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham (born 24 May 1941 – died 13 October 2018) was an important historian and politician. She was a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament. She belonged to the Labour Party.
Contents
About Patricia Hollis: Her Life and Work
Her Early Life and Studies
Patricia Hollis went to school at Plympton Grammar School. She then studied at several famous universities. These included Girton College, Cambridge in the UK, and the University of California and Columbia University in the United States.
While she was studying in the US from 1962 to 1964, she was a Harkness Fellow. During this time, she was active in the Civil Rights Movement. This movement worked to end unfair treatment of people based on their race. She helped with protests and voter registration drives in Mississippi.
Patricia Hollis was married to Martin Hollis, a philosophy professor. They were married from 1965 until he passed away in 1998. They had two sons together.
Working as a Historian and Academic
From 1967 to 1990, Patricia Hollis worked at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. She was a lecturer, a reader, and a Dean. This means she taught history and helped manage the university.
She wrote several academic books. One of her well-known books was Ladies Elect: Women in English Local Government, 1865-1914. This book was about the work of women in local government. She later became a supporter of the society that focused on this topic.
From 1988 to 1991, she also served as a National Commissioner for English Heritage. This organization helps protect historic buildings and sites in England.
Her Time in Politics
Patricia Hollis was interested in politics from a young age. She tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party in Great Yarmouth several times in the 1970s.
She was very active in local politics in Norwich. She was a member of the Norwich City Council from 1968 to 1991. She even led the Council from 1983 to 1988. This means she was in charge of making decisions for the city.
In 1990, Patricia Hollis became a life peer. This meant she was given the title of Baroness Hollis of Heigham and could sit in the House of Lords for the rest of her life. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament.
As a peer, she worked as an Opposition Whip from 1990 to 1995. She also spoke for the Labour Party on topics like housing, local government, and social security. She helped pass new laws about how pensions are shared when people divorce.
When the Labour Party came into power in 1997, she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. This is a government minister role. She worked in the Department for Work and Pensions (which was first called the Department of Social Security) from 1997 to 2005.
Achievements and Recognitions
Patricia Hollis was a highly respected historian. She was a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She also received special honors from Girton College, Cambridge, where she had studied.
She wrote several books about women's history and the history of the Labour Party. Her book about Jennie Lee won two important awards in 1997: the Orwell Prize for political biography and the Wolfson History Prize for the best history book of the year.
Patricia Hollis passed away in October 2018 at the age of 77 after a long illness.
Honours and Awards
- On 1 June 1990, she was made a Life Peer, which allowed her to join the House of Lords. She used the title Baroness Hollis of Heigham.
- In 1999, she became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This is a group of senior advisors to the Queen. This allowed her to use the letters "PC" after her name.
- She received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from Anglia Ruskin University in 1994.
- On 2 June 2001, she was given another honorary degree, Doctor of the University, by the Open University.
- She was appointed as a deputy lieutenant for the county of Norfolk. This allowed her to use the letters "DL" after her name.
- She was given the Freedom of the City of Norwich by the Norwich City Council. This is a special honor given to respected people.
