Although this blog is aimed at telling the stories of the GA Presidents, there are numerous other names which reappear through the documents I've been reading, and I've filtered mentions for many of them into the blog over the last year or so.
In 1964,
Miss Marguerita Oughton resigned.She had been linked with the GA for many years, and was given a glowing send off.
She was described by Rex Walford as a 'kingpin' of the GA. She gave 14 years of service to the GA as Assistant Secretary and Assistant Editor.
She was the subject of a five page tribute to her in '
Geography' by
Professor Linton (President for 1964) which described the impact she had on the Association.
It would be lovely to try to source an image of Marguerita Oughton if at all possible.
On appointment she began a measure of re-organization of the
work and filing in the headquarters office, but at once found herself involved
in the larger re-organization required by the change of the Association's
subscription year from the calendar year to the school and academic year,
and by the preparation of the Association's accounts for a firm of auditors. At
the same time the publication dates of Geography were changed to fit better
with school and university term dates and the programme of editorial work
in the office had also to be re-adjusted.
It's a reminder that over the years the GA has benefitted from so many strong female administrators, editors and other roles.
Not only did Miss Oughton have the admiration of Linton but also other prominent GA members.
Professor Wooldridge
In the early summer schools Miss Oughton played a more direct and personal part. The first, at Rhoose, Glamorgan, with Dr. Margaret Davies in 1952, was a vigorous introduction to course organization that left her with a conviction that there are few things that the Association can do for many of its members that are better worth while than the provision of practical courses in fieldwork and field teaching methods in our own countryside.
This conviction was enhanced by the stimulating experience of assisting the late Professor Wooldridge at a summer school at Pulborough in the Sussex Weald in the following year. Of this I was to hear a good deal in my own home not many weeks later from Wooldridge himself. He confessed to being "much impressed by that young woman", who had obviously handled him, as she had handled any difficult members of the party, with firmness and sympathy, and had surprised him with what he called an "unfeminine capacity for administrative detail." It is not difficult to detect here a note of admiration and affection on Wooldridge's part that remained with him in some measure till his death.
H J Fleure
Geoffrey Hutchings
In Geoffrey Hutchings' last letter to me,
written from hospital shortly before he died, contains a casual but sincere and
telling tribute to her work with him. Indeed, it was the rule that Miss
Oughton established easy working and personal relationships with a succes-
sion of Presidents and leaders of conferences and summer schools. And it was
equally the rule that she became the friend of many who would call them-
selves the rank and file of the Association
After the sad and untimely death of her
mother Miss Oughton lived entirely alone and so gradually fell into the bad
habit of working late at the office, commonly till 8 or 9 p.m. to keep abreast
of the administrative work, and taking mountains of editorial paper home
to be worked through at week-ends.
She had an intense loyalty to the
subject and to the Association. Although at two different periods she thought
of leaving it and applied for posts of other kinds, it is within my knowledge
that when, in fact, posts were offered to her she refused them, rather than
give up the work.
She also featured in this book in connection with
Ellen Rickard. Ellen will have her own post on the blog.
References
Linton, David L. “Miss Marguerita Oughton: An Appreciation.” Geography, vol. 50, no. 2, 1965, pp. 172–176. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40565934. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020
