The Papers of Baroness Lockwood

Archive reference: LOCKW

This archive offers important insights into the career of a Yorkshirewoman who worked towards education and equality for all.

Baroness Lockwood

‌Betty Lockwood was born in 1924 in Dewsbury, to a coal miner father and weaver mother. She left school at 14 but a scholarship enabled her to attend Ruskin College, Oxford. She developed a career as a Labour activist with particular focus on women. In 1975 she was invited to chair the new Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), stepping down in 1983. From 1978 to 2017 she served in the House of Lords, under the title Baroness Lockwood of Dewsbury. Among her many honorary doctorates is one from the University of Bradford (1981); she later became the University's first female Chancellor, serving from 1997 to 2005.

The Archive

The archive is dominated by records relating to Baroness Lockwood's EOC work, including correspondence and reports, and to her connections with the University of Bradford and interest in educational issues. It also includes articles, reports and speeches by Baroness Lockwood, many photographs, certificates, and press cuttings. This material was donated to Special Collections in 2014, with a further large deposit in 2016. Note that many files in the archive are restricted under the Data Protection Act or are otherwise confidential.