Secretariat

Miss Sheila Verity

Colleagues will be sorry to learn of the death, in June 2014, of Miss Sheila Verity, former Senior Administrative Assistant in the Registry.

The following is taken from the 1983 Review, written at the time of her retirement by the then Registrar, James Walsh.

“Miss Verity came to the University’s service in October 1947 after war service in the WAAF.  She was appointed as a clerk in the offices of the Tutor for Women Students (successively Miss Hibgame, Lady Ogilvie and Miss Bloxham) and of the Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor (Miss Selby).  She well remembers in the early days that the Vice-Chancellor and his secretary used to devote a slice of the morning to intensive work on The Times crossword.  (This is by no means unique.  There was I recall a VIP Times Crossword Club at Manchester University at about the same time.)  The physical location of this intense activity was an office on the ground floor of the Baines Wing, which had a coal fire. As clerk to the Tutor for Women Students, she came into contact with and helped many students; and as clerk to the Hospitality Office, she helped with many of the Honorary Degree ceremonies and with events such as the Opening of the Parkinson Building, the Jubilee (1954) and the Installation of the Princess Royal as Chancellor.

Dr Loach was well aware of her talents and in 1962 she was appointed as administrative assistant in the Council area where she has been a tower of strength ever since.  She has vast experience of the ways of the University and one literally does not know what the place is going to be like without her.  Fortunately, it is her habit to keep in touch with people for whom she has worked (one thinks of Lady Ogilvie particularly) and with those who have worked for her, so that we can all hope to see and hear from her from time to time.  In her retirement, she will be able to devote more time to her particular interests of walking and foreign travel and she will remain a member of the Royal Observer Corps.”

Miss Verity was promoted from clerk to Administrative Assistant in 1962, and to Senior Administrative Assistant in 1971.  She took retirement in 1983 after thirty-six years’ service to the University.