Dame Mary Donaldson 1921-2003

Dame Mary Donaldson, whose death was announced recently, was the first (and, so far, only) woman Lord Mayor of London.

Born Dorothy Mary Warwick, she attended Portsmouth High School from 1932 to 1938, leaving at the age of 16 to train for nursing at the Middlesex Hospital.  After marrying and raising a family she was appointed as a JP for Inner London, and subsequently stood for election to her local authority, the Corporation of London.  She was the first woman to be elected to this position, the first woman alderman, and the first woman Sheriff of the City of London, before being elected Lord Mayor in 1983.

Dame Mary also had a particular interest in health and education, and held an impressive list of appointments to governing bodies of hospitals, charities and schools.