Metadata: Serota, Beatrice (1919-2002), Baroness Serota, politician
Collection
- Country:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Holding institution:
- LSE Library: The London School of Economics and Political Science
- Holding institution (official language):
- LSE Library: The London School of Economics and Political Science
- Postal address:
- 25 Southampton Buildings London Greater London United Kingdom WC2A 1PH
- Phone number:
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7405 7686
- Web address:
- http://www.lse.ac.uk/library
- Reference number:
- Serota
- Title:
- Serota, Beatrice (1919-2002), Baroness Serota, politician
- Title (official language):
- Serota, Beatrice (1919-2002), Baroness Serota, politician
- Creator/accumulator:
- Serota, Beatrice, 1919-2002, Baroness Serota, politician
- Date(s):
- 1953/2002
- Language:
- English
- Extent:
- 12 boxes
- Scope and content:
- Papers of Beatrice Serota, 1953-2002, relate to her work in London local government, as a Minister of State, member of the House of Lords and of a number of advisory bodies and committees, including the Advisory Council on the Penal System and the Commission on Local Administration. Includes correspondence, reports, publications, notes, speeches and other papers.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Beatrice Serota (1919-2002) was born in London on 15 October 1919, the daughter of Alexander Katz and Milly Witkower, Jewish immigrants from Austro-Hungary. Throughout her life, Serota would remain committed to her Jewish roots, later co-founding the Hampstead branch of the Council of Christians and Jews, and serving as Governor of the Jewish Free School and Vice-Chairman of the Central Council of Jewish Social Services.She was educated at the Clapton county secondary school and at the London School of Economics. In 1942 she married Stanley Serota. After wartime service in the Ministry of Fuel and Power, Serota was elected as a Labour member of Hampstead Borough Council in 1945, beginning a long involvement with local politics. In 1954 she was elected to the London County Council (LCC), serving as Chairman of the Children's Committee. When the LCC was abolished in 1965, Serota was elected to the Greater London Council (GLC) which replaced it.She became the Labour Chief Whip on the GLC, and served on the Inner London Education Authority, until 1967. Serota's work for the LCC and GLC led to her being awarded a peerage for services to children in 1967. This enabled her appointment as Minister of State for Health in the Department of Health and Social Security, 1969-1970. Prior to becoming a minister, Serota had served on a number of advisory bodies and commissions. She was a member of the Longford Committee on crime, 1964; the Royal Commission on the Penal System, 1964-1966; the Latey Committee on the Age of Majority, 1965-1967; and the Advisory Council on the Penal System, 1966-1968, and 1974-1979.Following the Labour government's defeat in 1970, Serota served on the Community Relations Commission, 1970-1976; and was Chair of the Commission for Local Administration, 1974-1982; the BBC Complaints Commission, 1975-1977; and was a Governor of the BBC, 1977-1982. Serota also had an active career in the House of Lords, being Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees and a member of the European Communities Select Committee, 1986-1992. She was involved with the National Council for One Parent Families and the Family Service Units and was Deputy Speaker in the Lords from 1985 until her death in until her death in 2002.
- Access points: locations:
- London
- Access points: persons/families:
- Serota, Beatrice
- Subject terms:
- Jewish political activity
- Access, restrictions:
- Open
- Finding aids:
- Online catalogue see https://archives.lse.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=SEROTA
- Yerusha Network member:
- AIM25
- Author of the description:
- Sources: Copied from LSE Archives CALM database by Anna Towlson.
- British Library of Political and Economic Science
