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An important figure in twentieth-century British politics, Beatrice (Nancy) Seear’s principal legacy is her contribution to ensuring the passage of equal pay and sex discrimination legislation, first as an academic and adviser to the Ministry of Labour and then as a Liberal life peer (appointed in 1971). She led a remarkable life combining academic work at the London School of Economics, policy influence, and political leadership. Through her research on the organization of work in industry, which was informed by her experience as a personnel manager, she helped to found personnel management as a distinct field of study, and she made a significant contribution to the professionalization of its practice by teaching cohorts of practitioners and leading professional associations.
This article reappraises Seear’s work in light of recent critiques of the gendered nature of industrial relations research and of the continuing struggle for pay equality. The work of pioneering women social scientists has recently enjoyed renewed attention as feminists seek to uncover hidden lives and challenge masculine bias.
