Members of the Somerville community will be saddened to learn that Dame Kathleen Mary Ollerenshaw (1931, Mathematics) died on 10th August 2014 at the age of 101.
Dame Kathleen read Mathematics at Somerville as an undergraduate and continued as a graduate, completing her D.Phil. in 1945. In recognition of her long and distinguished career as a mathematician, and also as Lord Mayor of Manchester, one of the founding members of the Royal Northern College of Music and a government adviser on educational matters, she was elected to an Honorary Fellowship in 1978.
Somerville held a special luncheon for Dame Kathleen to celebrate her 100th birthday in October 2012, attended by distinguished mathematicians in the University, among others, to whom she was a lifelong inspiration. On that occasion she recorded for our archives an interview recalling her days at Somerville.
She was a loyal and generous supporter of Somerville who will be much missed. The College flag is flying at half mast in tribute to her.
Funeral details are yet to be announced.
Obituaries of Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw have appeared on the BBC web site and in the Manchester Evening News.