Betty Boothroyd Honorary degrees: British politician Betty Boothroyd was the first woman to preside over the House of Commons in the country.
She was raised in a working-class family and was born on October 8, 1929, in Yorkshire. Her mother was a weaver, while her father worked in the textile industry.
When Boothroyd joined the Labour Party in the 1950s, her political career officially got underway. In the London district of Hackney, she started serving on the local council in 1953. In 1973, she ran for election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich.
From 1987 until 1992, when she was elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Boothroyd served as the House of Commons’ deputy speaker. As a result, she became the first woman to hold the office in the House of Commons’ 700-year existence.
As Speaker, Boothroyd was in charge of preserving decency and order throughout activities and debates in the Commons. She had a reputation for adhering strictly to parliamentary norms and procedures and for being able to gain the respect of all House members.
As Speaker, Boothroyd supervised several significant changes to the House of Commons, such as the installation of television cameras and the development of an updated parliamentary website.
Boothroyd left his position as Speaker in 2000 after eight years in the position. Michael Martin, the first Catholic to hold the role, succeeded her.
Boothroyd has participated in a number of humanitarian and philanthropic groups in addition to her political career. She supports numerous organizations, including the Abbeyfield Society, the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Boothroyd has won a lot of accolades and awards during the course of her career. She received the Order of Merit in 2005 after being named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1998. She has also been awarded honorary degrees by a number of universities, both domestically and internationally.
In her private life, Boothroyd has had two marriages. She had a failed first marriage with no children. She has been a lifetime supporter of the Huddersfield Town Football Club and is well recognized for her love of sport.
Last but not least, Betty Boothroyd was a trailblazing politician who created history by being the first woman to preside over the UK’s House of Commons. She was renowned for her passion to public service and her devotion to parliamentary process. She has received countless honors and distinctions in recognition of her services to politics and public life, and she is still a major player in British politics today.
Awards conferred on Betty Boothroyd
She has received a number of honorary degrees from universities in the UK and other countries during the course of her illustrious career. An summary of Betty Boothroyd’s honorary degrees is shown below:
- Betty Boothroyd received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Bradford in 1994 in appreciation of her accomplishments while serving as the Speaker of the House of Commons.
- Doctor of Laws from the University of Cambridge (1994): Betty Boothroyd was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Cambridge in that year.
- Betty Boothroyd received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Birmingham in 1995 in recognition of her contributions to the public good.
- Betty Boothroyd was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Hull in 1996 in honour of her accomplishments as the Speaker of the House of Commons.
- Betty Boothroyd received an honorary Doctor of the University degree from the University of Essex in 1997 in appreciation of her services to public life.
- Betty Boothroyd received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Warwick in 1998 in recognition of her services to the public good.
- Doctor of the University from the University of Leeds (1999): Betty Boothroyd was awarded this honorary degree in 1999 in appreciation of her illustrious career in public service.
- Betty Boothroyd received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Sussex in 2000 in appreciation of her services to public life.
- Betty Boothroyd was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Bristol in 2001 in appreciation of her services to the public good.
- Betty Boothroyd received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Oxford in 2002 in honour of her accomplishments as the Speaker of the House of Commons.