Honouring a Trailblazer: Alumna Diana Beck
Honouring a Trailblazer: Alumna Diana Beck
We are immensely proud to celebrate our alumna, Diana Beck, who made history as Britain’s first female neurosurgeon, recently honoured with a blue plaque 99 years after she became a doctor.
The English Heritage plaque was unveiled at her former home and consulting rooms in Marylebone, where she lived from 1948 to 1954. During her time at Middlesex Hospital, she was its very first neurosurgeon and established a pioneering neurosurgical department.
Diana was a trailblazer, she was among the first female neurosurgeons in the world, and she held the distinction of being the first woman appointed to a senior clinical position at any major London teaching hospital. Her remarkable contributions advanced both her field and the cause of women in medicine, breaking through barriers in a male-dominated profession.
A distinguished surgeon, educator, and researcher, Diana played a pivotal role in establishing neurosurgery in the UK, overcoming the sociocultural hurdles of the early twentieth century. As a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, her extraordinary career included a high-profile lifesaving procedure on Alan Alexander Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh, following a stroke in 1952. You can read more about her incredible career here.
We are proud to note that Diana attended The Queen’s School before pursuing her medical degree at the London School of Medicine for Women, based at the Royal Free Hospital.
Headmistress Joanne Keville shared these heartfelt words: