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Robert Bigg's avatar

I have a recollection of her talking to the Marshall Society in Cambridge in the late 1970s or early 80s. Her contribution to the development of the welfare state and some more technical economic reflections can be found in this paper:

https://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/research-files/repec/cam/pdf/cwpe2246.pdf

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Vandra Costello's avatar

Absolutely fascinating-I remember the name from my childhood. If Daniel Craig plays Wright in film version I think Helen Lewis should branch into acting to play the Barbara as a young woman

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Ann Kennedy Smith's avatar

Yes, re Daniel Craig, and possibly Kate Winslet as Barbara, if Helen turns it down?

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Sarah Harkness's avatar

Yes!

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June Girvin's avatar

What on earth was wrong with Barbara's mother?? And oh, how frustrating it must have been to be a female academic in those times. Being given a role as a lecturer but having one's lectures advertised under someone else's name must have stung. It certainly stinks!

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Jules's avatar

What an amazing life. I know some parents can have high expectations of their children but Barbara's mother beggars belief! Another fabulous read.

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Margaret Bennett's avatar

What a fantastic find. And the likeness to Daniel Craig is uncanny.

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Wendy Wright's avatar

What an amazing woman who never let the system grind her down but seemed to treat it with distain it deserved. Sad to say it still does this to many 😳. Thank you for sharing her remarkable story.

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Ann Kennedy Smith's avatar

This was so enjoyable, Sarah. I discovered lots I didn’t know about Barbara Wootton, a fascinating woman with a strong Cambridge connection (pretty sure she was taught by ‘my’ Mary Paley Marshall).

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Victoria Olsen's avatar

Agree. A wonderful find, so to speak. Thanks for sharing this!

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Lizzie Broadbent's avatar

Fascinating, thank you!

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Jonathan Crain's avatar

Thanks for sharing your research rabbit hole finds with us. I had indeed never heard of Barbara Wooten.

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Michael Patrick O’Leary's avatar

I had heard of her but hadn’t realised how extraordinary she was.

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Etta Madden's avatar

Thanks for introducing us to another little-known fascinating woman! Of course, I am curious about the arcane. How “well-paid” was her “well-paid trip to the US and Mexico”?

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Sarah Harkness's avatar

I think the US lecture tour paid for a holiday for two in Mexico?

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