Secretariat

Nora Mason

Very sadly, Miss Nora Mason, former departmental secretary in the Department of Pure and Applied Zoology, died on 25 November 2006.

Miss Mason joined the University in 1945, initially as part of the secretarial team in the Bursars Office. Within a short space of time, she moved to take up appointment as departmental secretary in the then Department of Zoology, a post she was to continue to hold until her retirement in 1978. Miss Mason provided invaluable support to three successive heads of department: Professors E A Spaul, J M Dodd and R McN Alexander. Reflecting the increasing size and complexity of the department, her responsibilities grew steadily as she was called upon to undertake more and more administrative work. The sole member of clerical staff in the department for her first fourteen years in post, her remit was a broad one, ranging from the maintenance of student records and the preparation of examination timetables, to the typing of academic papers and the theses of research students. By dint of her abilities and cheerful and bright temperament alike, Miss Mason was a most highly regarded colleague. External recognition of her outstanding service came in the form of the award of The Queens Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977. In her spare time, she followed the fortunes of Yorkshire County Cricket Club with almost missionary zeal.